Mark Allen has hit out after "two idiots disrupted what should have been a nice night of snooker" at the World Championship in Sheffield.
In bizarre scenes, a female protester was stopped from attacking the match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi on table two by the quick-thinking response of referee Olivier Marteel.
At the other table, a man wearing a 'Just Stop Oil' T-shirt interrupted the match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry by jumping on the table where he released a packet of orange dye. Perry and Milkins were unable to resume their match on the night and will now recommence on Tuesday evening, but Allen completed a 10-5 victory over Fan after a delay of around 45 minutes.
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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.
World No 3 Allen said afterwards: "I don't quite get it - I don't know enough to have a valid opinion but I'd say there are better ways of going about it than disrupting a major sporting event.
"I feel like talking about it now is giving them airtime they don't deserve, because it is two idiots disrupting what should have been a nice night of snooker.
"I've got to be honest, I was completely oblivious to what was going on, but fair play to Olivier (Marteel) and the security staff who were totally on the ball. It could have been a lot worse.
"You saw what happened on the other table and how much disruption it caused. I was quite chilled, I just waited in my dressing room and had a cup of tea."
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.”
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