Protestors have disrupted the World Snooker Championship this evening (Monday, April 17). A green baize table was covered in orange powder on day three at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
During this evening's (April 17) match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi, a woman appeared from the audience wearing a 'Just Stop Oil' T-shirt and attempted to climb onto the table as Allen looked on. Referee Olivier Marteel. stepped in to stop her.
The audience erupted into applause as she was removed. She made no attempt to speak while she was being removed.
However, at the Robert Milkins and Joe Perry match on table one, a man climbed onto the table and threw a bag of orange chalk on it. The players were dismissed to their dressing rooms and play was halted by the officials.
At 7.34pm, Just Stop Oil tweeted: "NEW OIL AND GAS WILL SNOOKER US. 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 in civil resistance against the Government’s genocidal policies."
At 9pm, South Yorkshire Police said a 30-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman had been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after the protest.
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.”
Social media reported that the chalk on table one was hoovered by master of ceremonies Rob Walker. The championship is taking place from April 15 to May 1.
