Wimbledon 2023: 'Just Stop Oil' protestors charged with aggravated trespass

London police on Friday charged three people with aggravated trespass over two incidents at the Wimbledon tennis tournament, when climate protesters interrupted play and scattered jigsaw pieces on the court. Deborah Wilde, 68, Simon Milner-Edwards, 66, and William Ward, 66, were released on bail to appear at London’s City of Westminster Magistrates court next month. Both incidents took place on Wednesday and involved members of the Just Stop Oil campaign group, which has targeted major sporting events including the snooker World Championship and the Ashes cricket series. In the first incident, a man and a woman wearing “Just Stop Oil” T-shirts ran onto Court 18 during play and “discharged what is believed to be orange paper petals and jigsaw pieces,” according to Metropolitan Police. The environmental group also shared a video of the incident on Twitter.

sports 🎾 pic.twitter.com/KgHBQcvAOn

— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) July 6, 2023

Later, a man ran onto the same court to carry out a similar protest. They were all detained by security staff before being arrested by police and taken into custody. The demonstrations prompted a warning from UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, after she hosted top sports officials to try to prevent similar disruptions at forthcoming sporting events. “The protesters at Wimbledon were determined to ruin the day’s play for spectators and sports fans across the world,” she said. “This is unacceptable. We will be uncompromisingly tough on the selfish protesters intent on spoiling our world-class sporting occasions this summer.” Just Stop Oil wants the UK government to end all new oil and gas exploration and has promised not to let up in its protests until it does so.