LAST UPDATE | 5 Jul 2023

CLIMATE ACTIVISTS DISRUPTED two tennis games at Wimbledon this afternoon by running onto the court and throwing what appeared to be confetti onto the grass. 

The two Just Stop Oil demonstrators managed to get onto Court 18 and bring the match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov to a halt despite the club putting heightened security measures in place to prevent exactly such an interruption. 

Another protester made it onto the same court two hours later, leading to the suspension of a match between Katie Boulter and Daria Saville.

The incidents are another in a series of stoppages at high-profile UK sporting events caused by Just Stop Oil activists this year.

🎾 BREAKING: Just Stop Oil Disrupt @Wimbledon

🎉 “Once more, orange clouds hang over a British sporting event this summer—this time it’s ticker tape rather than paint dust, but it is an intrusion and will need sorting out.”

🚷 Sign up to take action at https://t.co/7BzUVS02dZ pic.twitter.com/2iaoo6GNdO

— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) July 5, 2023

The group has also disrupted the English Premiership rugby final, World Snooker Championship and most recently an Ashes cricket game. 

Just Stop Oil has tweeted a video confirming the organisation’s role in the incident. In another tweet the climate change group said, “We can’t leave it to the next generation to pick up the pieces of our government’s failing climate policies”.

Wimbledon also tweeted giving details about the court invasion, saying that three individuals had been arrested and removed from the grounds of the All England Club. 

Play on Court 18 is suspended for the second time today as a third Just Stop Oil protester invades the court.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Bld4mwiPvw

— James Gray (@jamesgraysport) July 5, 2023

“Following an incident on Court 18, two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage and these individuals have now been removed from the Grounds,” the statement said. 

“Play on the court was temporarily paused and, following a suspension in play due to a rain delay, play is about to resume.”

Following an incident on Court 18, two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage and these individuals have now been removed from the Grounds.

Play on the court was temporarily paused and, following a suspension in play due to a rain…

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 5, 2023

The man disrupting the Boulter vs Saville match was also arrested.

The protest activity of Just Stop Oil has become the focus of heated political debate in the UK of late and it looks set to remain so throughout the summer and beyond. 

With reporting from Jamie McCarron