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Wales Online
Sport
Jon Doel

Intruders storm court at Wimbledon as raging spectators hurl abuse

Two people stormed one of the tennis courts at Wimbledon in the middle of a match today.

The Just Stop Oil protestors broke through security and entered Court 18 as Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov played Japan's Sho Shimabukuro on Wednesday. They threw orange confetti on the court before being detained by police officers.

Play was suspended as angry spectators booed, jeered and swore at the protestors.

The activists ran onto the court, throwing confetti and jogsaw pieces before one of them sat down.

In a statement, Just Stop Oil said "we can't leave it to the next generation to pick up the pieces".

Deborah Wilde, 68, a retired teacher from London, ran on the court shortly after 2.10pm.

She said: "I'm just an ordinary grandmother in resistance to this Government's policy of serving us new oil and gas licences. In normal circumstances this sort of disruption would be entirely unacceptable, but these aren't normal circumstances.

"We've just had the hottest June on record, breaking the previous record by nearly a whole degree! We don't need Hawk-eye to see that our Government issuing over 100 new fossil fuel licences is a very bad line-call.

"Forget strawberries and cream, scientists are warning of impending food shortages, mass displacement and war.

"We are facing new pandemics, economic inflation and increasingly authoritarian governments who will attempt to crush civil unrest.

"This is a crisis and it needs a crisis response. I want a safe future, not just for my grandchildren but for all children around the world and the generations to come."

The other Just Stop Oil protester who invaded Court 18 was Simon Milner-Edwards, 66, a retired musician, from Manchester.

It follows similar recent incidents during the Ashes second Test and English Premiership rugby final.

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