Just Stop Oil

An activist from the environmentalist group “Just Stop Oil” spreads orange powder after entering the pitch as a sign of protest while a security guard attempts to stop him during the Premiership Final rugby union match between Saracens and Sale Sharks at Twickenham Stadium, south-west London, on May 27, 2023. – Saracens return to Twickenham for a ninth appearance in the Premiership final, after topping the regular season table ahead of second-placed Sale. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)

Just Stop Oil demonstrators halt Premiership Rugby final

Just Stop Oil protestors halted the English Premiership final as the group continued its high-profile campaign of disrupting public events.

Just Stop Oil

An activist from the environmentalist group “Just Stop Oil” spreads orange powder after entering the pitch as a sign of protest while a security guard attempts to stop him during the Premiership Final rugby union match between Saracens and Sale Sharks at Twickenham Stadium, south-west London, on May 27, 2023. – Saracens return to Twickenham for a ninth appearance in the Premiership final, after topping the regular season table ahead of second-placed Sale. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)

Just Stop Oil protestors halted the English Premiership final as the group continued its high-profile campaign of disrupting public events.

Two members of the Just Stop Oil pressure group raced onto the field at Twickenham on Saturday, temporarily interrupting the English Premiership rugby match.

Just Stop Oil protestors halt final

The decisive game between Saracens and Sale was tied at 6-6 in the 21st minute when the protesters onto the field and dusted the playing surface with an orange powder while wearing the group’s orange T-shirts with the slogan “Just Stop Oil.”

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However, the pair were quickly removed, with a huge cheer from the Twickenham crowd when one of the interlopers was heavily tackled by a member of the security staff, and it was not long before the match resumed.

In a Just Stop Oil statement on the incident, the protestors justified their actions, with Dr Patrick Hart, 37, a GP from Bristol, south-west England, saying: “I am doing this because it’s my duty as a doctor.

“The climate crisis is the greatest health crisis humanity has ever faced. People are dying now and more will die every day unless we stop new oil, gas and coal.”

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“In the same way the tobacco companies lied to us that tobacco was safe, the scrum of fossil fuel companies and corrupt politicians have been lying to us.

“They are keeping us addicted to fossil fuels, even though they know it’s killing us.

“I am not prepared to let them get away with mass murder.”

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Just Stop Oil
An activist from the environmentalist group “Just Stop Oil” is escorted out of the pitch by security guards and rugby player after entering it as sign of protest during the Premiership Final rugby union match between Saracens and Sale Sharks at Twickenham Stadium, south-west London, on May 27, 2023. – Saracens return to Twickenham for a ninth appearance in the Premiership final, after topping the regular season table ahead of second-placed Sale. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)

Protestors arrested

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Also running onto the field was someone identified as 40-year-old Sam Johnson, a construction worker from Essex.

“I took action today simply because we have run out of time. We’ve got to tackle this now,” he said in the statement.

A statement from Twickenham Stadium read: “Twickenham Stadium can confirm two people have been arrested and this is now a police matter.

“We would like to thank our stewarding team who acted decisively and swiftly.”

The group also staged similar protests at the Chelsea Flower Show and the World Snooker Championship.