By Martyn Herman
LONDON (Reuters) -Just Stop Oil protesters twice interrupted play on the third day of Wimbledon on Wednesday, releasing orange ticker-tape mixed with jigsaw puzzle pieces during matches on Court 18.
The first incident involved two protesters running on to the court holding boxes marked as 1,000-piece jigsaws of Centre Court before sprinkling the contents, halting play between Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro.
One of the protesters covered the court liberally while the other one aimed mainly wide of the tramlines.
Security staff quickly removed the individuals, one of whom sat down cross-legged on the turf. Neither resisted. The crowd booed the protesters with some heard shouting “Get Off”. Ground staff then swept the court and there appeared to be no damage.
Shortly after the protest, rain returned and the covers were dragged across the court.
Later, on the same show court which is overlooked by a terrace used by television broadcasters, the match between Britain’s Katie Boulter and Australian Daria Saville was also briefly halted by a similar incident.
This time one protester sprinkled ticker-tape on the court before being dragged away by three security staff.
SWEPT AWAY
Play resumed after the material was swept away, with both players helping to clear the court.
“It was obviously a little bit of a shock to the system. I think we both handled it really well. It’s a really unfortunate situation for everyone,” Boulter said after her win.
She did, however, express some sympathy for the cause.
“It’s not my field of expertise. I don’t know enough about it,” she said. “I would say that I think we all sympathise with what they’re going through completely.
“At the same time I don’t know if it’s the right place or time.”
Wimbledon organisers and the Metropolitan Police said two male and one female protester were in custody on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage.
Home secretary Suella Braverman condemned the actions of the protesters and said she had chaired a meeting at Downing Street with representatives of various sports organisations.
“The protesters at Wimbledon were determined to ruin the day’s play for spectators and sports fans across the world,” she said in a statement.
“This is unacceptable. We will be uncompromisingly tough on the selfish protesters intent on spoiling our world-class sporting occasions this summer.”
Security had been beefed up for the grasscourt Grand Slam, one of the jewels of the British sporting summer, after a spate of protests at high-level events in Britain.
However, Wednesday’s events had an air if inevitability, such is the nature of Wimbledon, and organisers will hope that Just Stop Oil do not have any more stunts planned.
The environmental group disrupted the second Ashes cricket test at Lord’s last week, attempting to spread orange powder on the wicket. They also intervened in this year’s Premiership Rugby final and the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield where they smeared orange powder over a table.
This year’s Grand National horse race was also disrupted after animal rights activists attached themselves to fences.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, additional reporting by Anita Kobylinska, editing by Ed Osmond and Toby Davis)
