Just Stop Oil protestors arrested after Crucible invasion

Two Just Stop Oil protestors have been arrested after invading the Crucible, forcing a stoppage in play at the World Snooker Championship.

The duo staged a protest shortly after play began in the evening session. A man interrupted the match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry on table one by jumping on the table and releasing a packet of orange dye. A female protestor attacked the match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi on table two, but she was swiftly apprehended by referee Olivier Marteel before she could climb the table.

Play was immediately suspended as staff brought vacuum cleaners into the arena, with MC Rob Walker among those helping to clean up the mess. Play resumed between Allen and Fan after a 40-minute break, while the Milkins-Perry match was abandoned. It began on Tuesday evening, at the time the second session was originally scheduled, and the second session will take place on Thursday morning, when no morning play was due to be held.

The damaged table will be reclothed before the resumption of matches, as World Snooker ruled that the cloth was damaged beyond repair.

The protest group’s official Twitter page posted a video of the incident saying: “At around 7:20pm, two Just Stop Oil supporters have disrupted the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, interrupting play.

Allen, who eventually beat Fan 10-5, said: “I think I was the last person in the whole arena to work out what was going on because I was focused on the shot I was about to play. I heard a bang, that I thought it was on the other table and then I turned round and there was a woman on my table.

“It could have been a lot worse – you saw what happened on the other table and how much disruption it caused. It was a surreal moment but I feel like even talking about it is giving them airtime they don’t deserve because they are just idiots. What are they trying to gain from what they have done? I am sure there are better ways to get their point across.”

Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, who was on comms, 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.”

According to South Yorkshire Police, a 52-year-old-man and a 30-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. Both are in custody.

Just Stop Oil later claimed responsibility for the protest.

The protest group’s official Twitter page posted a video of the incident saying: “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.”

The group have disrupted a number of sporting events, with some individuals attempting to tie themselves to goalposts during Premier League matches.