PROTESTERS FORCED A stoppage in play early in the evening session at the World Snooker Championship today in Sheffield.
The duo from the protest group ‘Just Stop Oil’ invaded the arena shortly after play began with a man interrupting the match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry by jumping on the table where he released a packet of orange dye.
A female protester was stopped from disrupting the match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi on table two by referee Olivier Marteel.
Play has been suspended at the Crucible after a protester jumped on the table and covered it in orange powder.@WeAreWST | #WorldSnookerChampionship pic.twitter.com/epqAOsDGD1
— Eurosport (@eurosport) April 17, 2023
Play was immediately suspended as cleaners brought vacuum cleaners into the arena and master of ceremonies Rob Walker was among those helping to sweep up the mess.
Former world champion Stephen Hendry, on commentary duties for the BBC, said: “I have never seen that before at a snooker event. It’s a first.
“It is scary. Wow! You just hope the cloth can be recovered from that. It caught us all by surprise and then this happens.
“For me, straight away as a snooker player I am thinking: ‘Is the table recoverable?’ We don’t know what that is on the table.”
Just Stop Oil issued a statement which read: “At around 7:20pm, two Just Stop Oil supporters have disrupted the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, interrupting play.
“The pair proceeded to cover the tables in orange powder paint before being removed by security and arrested.
“They are demanding that the Government immediately stop all new UK fossil fuel projects and are calling on UK sporting institutions to step into civil resistance against the Government’s genocidal policies.”
The match between Allen and Zhengyi resumed after a delay of approximately 45 minutes.
The affected table was covered and will be re-clothed overnight, with a decision to be made later on whether the match between Milkins and Perry will resume following the conclusion of Allen-Zhengyi.
Written by Press Association and posted on TheJournal.ie
