The tennis tournament in Wimbledon was disrupted by climate activists on Wednesday. Two members of the group Just Stop Oil rushed to the number 18 spot during the match between Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro. A woman distributed orange confetti and blue puzzle pieces, a man sat down on the grass. Both were taken away by security forces and the site was cleaned with leaf blowers.
Wimbledon match briefly interrupted – protesters arrested
“After an incident in place 18, two people were arrested on suspicion of serious trespassing and property damage and have now been removed from the site,” said the Wimbledon organizers on Twitter. “Play on the pitch has been temporarily suspended and after a break due to rain, play will resume soon.”
Security checks at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club had been tightened this year due to concerns about protests. This led to long queues at the entrance on the first three days. The stewards had been instructed to search all pockets particularly thoroughly. The activists had smuggled in the confetti and the puzzle pieces in the box of a puzzle that showed a picture of the center court.