Climate protesters guilty of trespass at Wimbledon
Three Just Stop Oil activists, Deborah Wilde, Simon Milner-Edwards, and William Ward, have been convicted of aggravated trespass for interrupting a Wimbledon match by scattering confetti and puzzle pieces on the court.
They breached Court 18 during the Grand Slam event on July 5 and were apprehended soon after.
Despite admitting to entering the court, they contested the severity of the charge. The deputy district judge commended their courtroom demeanor but affirmed their intent to disrupt the match, which they did. Their defense argument, centered on climate change concerns, was not accepted by the court.
The incident involved around 1,000 puzzle pieces and was described as unsettling by Wimbledon's operations director, Michelle Dite. The first intrusion occurred during a match between Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro, and the second disrupted a game featuring Katie Boulter and Daria Saville, resulting in loud disapproval from the audience.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club had already invested significantly in security measures due to previous protests by Just Stop Oil. The convicted trio were wearing branded T-shirts and were captured on bodycam footage.
Punishments included a six-month conditional discharge for Wilde and Ward, and an 18-month conditional discharge for Milner-Edwards.
Despite admitting to entering the court, they contested the severity of the charge. The deputy district judge commended their courtroom demeanor but affirmed their intent to disrupt the match, which they did. Their defense argument, centered on climate change concerns, was not accepted by the court.
The incident involved around 1,000 puzzle pieces and was described as unsettling by Wimbledon's operations director, Michelle Dite. The first intrusion occurred during a match between Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro, and the second disrupted a game featuring Katie Boulter and Daria Saville, resulting in loud disapproval from the audience.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club had already invested significantly in security measures due to previous protests by Just Stop Oil. The convicted trio were wearing branded T-shirts and were captured on bodycam footage.
Punishments included a six-month conditional discharge for Wilde and Ward, and an 18-month conditional discharge for Milner-Edwards.
