Wimbledon 2023 faced an unexpected disruption on its third day, courtesy of a group of protesters. Three individuals affiliated with the Just Stop Oil movement caused a commotion by infiltrating Court 18 and scattering orange confetti, glitter, and jigsaw pieces onto the grass, leading to interruptions in two matches.
The first incident occurred during the match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov, followed by a disturbance in the women’s singles contest featuring Katie Boulter and Daria Saville. Security promptly apprehended the protesters and temporarily halted the proceedings.
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“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 delay, play is about to resume”, was the message posted by the official Twitter account of Wimbledon.
Video: “Just Stop Oil” protesters disrupt matches at Wimbledon 2023
Wimbledon announced a third arrest related to the incident. “Following a further incident on Court 18, one individual has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage. This individual is being removed from the Grounds”, the organization wrote.
Just Stop Oil is an organization based in the UK, advocating for the cessation of licensing new oil, gas, and coal projects through nonviolent civil resistance, as stated on their website. Following those incidents videos of those moments also emerged.
