 "Climate protesters halt US Open women’s semi-final between Gauff and Muchova, protester glues feet to floor")
A demonstration by climate activists during the US Open women’s singles semi-final between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova led to a dramatic halt to the match on Friday. The match on Arthur Ashe Stadium was halted in game two of the second set after a group of three protesters wearing t-shirts with the slogan “end fossil fuels” began chanting the same message. The protesters were greeted with jeers and chants of “kick them out” by other spectators as security staff moved in. Images posted on social media appeared to show that at least one of the protesters had glued his feet to the concrete floor of the stadium, preventing his easy removal from the arena.
Another video on X (formerly Twitter) showed him being removed from the stands by the police.
The delay occurred as Muchova prepared to serve in game two of the second set with Gauff leading 6-4, 1-0 just after 8pm local time. Gauff and Muchova waited patiently on the court for several minutes but eventually left the court to return to the locker rooms. Play resumed nearly 50 minutes after the previous point as Gauff went on to grab the second set 7-5 and the match. She will now play Aryna Sabalenka or Madison Keys in Saturday’s final. The incident is the latest in a series of protests by climate activists targeting major sporting events around the world. In July, three people were arrested after disrupting play at Wimbledon, scattering orange confetti and jigsaw pieces over the court. The three were subsequently charged with aggravated trespass and face criminal prosecution. In a separate incident at the Ashes cricket Test between Australia and England at Lord’s in London in June, two men from the “Just Stop Oil” movement ran onto the field and scattered orange powder. There were similar demonstrations during the recent World Snooker Championship and English Premiership rugby final. The group has also targeted Premier League matches and the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone. With AFP inputs