Just Stop Oil — an environmental activist group — has made headlines in recent months as it continues to target major sporting events for high-profile protests.
The UK-based protest movement describes itself as a "coalition of groups working together to ensure the government commits to halting new fossil fuel licensing and production".
In order to maximise publicity, Just Stop Oil has targeted Wimbledon, the Ashes and the World Snooker Championships in 2023, having also staged a protest at last year's British Grand Prix. More disruption is expected throughout the rest of the year.
Here's the lowdown on the group and which sporting events it has interrupted to date.
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What is Just Stop Oil?
Just Stop Oil is an environmental activist group whose aim is to force the UK government to stop the licensing of new fossil-fuel projects.
The group first became known on the sports stage with a number of high-profile protests during Premier League football matches, including one during Everton vs. Newcastle United in which a member of the organisation tethered himself to a goalpost during play using cable ties.
A protestor interrupted the Everton vs. Newcastle match. pic.twitter.com/76eI3ssdiN
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 17, 2022
Aside from their sports protests, the group is also known for regularly causing disruption at oil factories and blocking some of the UK's busiest roads and motorways through peaceful sit-in protests. Members have also vandalised art exhibitions and the exteriors of office buildings.
On its website, Just Stop Oil describes itself as "a nonviolent civil resistance group demanding the UK government stop licensing all new oil, gas and coal projects".
The extraction and use of coal, oil and natural gas is widely accepted to be a driving force behind the global climate crisis.
Just Stop Oil Ashes 2023 protest
During the second Ashes Test between England and Australia at Lord's in late June 2023, three Just Stop Oil protestors entered the field of play.
Heading for the crease from the boundary, they threw orange powder across the pitch to disrupt the match before officials carried the protesters away.
In a bid to help clear the disruption, England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow helped by carrying one of the protestors off of the pitch himself in a moment that went viral on social media.
🎥 WATCH: Jonny Bairstow picked up a Just Stop Oil protester and carried him off the Lord’s pitch as the second Ashes Test was disrupted amid extraordinary scenes pic.twitter.com/OGpX7tfHMq
— The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) June 28, 2023
Reports later confirmed that the three protestors would be charged with aggravated trespass and would have to appear in court.
Just Stop Oil Wimbledon 2023 protest
The 2023 edition of Wimbledon was interrupted by Just Stop Oil protestors on day three of the championships.
On Court 18, two people entered the field of play during a match between Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro and threw orange confetti and jigsaw pieces across the court before being detained by tournament officials.
Later on in the day on the same court, a third protester halted the game between Katie Boulter and Daria Saville via the same means.
All three were duly arrested by police.
Just Stop Oil World Snooker Championship 2023 protest
In what was arguably the much eye-catching protest to date, two Just Stop Oil members doused the tables in orange powder at the 2023 World Snooker Championships back in mid-April.
The pair jumped past security at the the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield with matches between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry and Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi forced to stop as a result.
Just Stop Oil football protests
The group has also targeted major Premier League football matches in the past in a bid to emphasise their message.
One of the more high-profile incidents came during the match between Everton and Newcastle United at Goodison Park in March 2022 when a Just Stop Oil member ran onto the pitch and tied himself to the goalpost.
The 21-year-old protestor was subsequently hit with a six-week prison sentence despite pleading not guilty to the charge of aggravated trespass.
Other protests have halted Premier League matches in the past and have also targeted several Rugby Union fixtures.