Two activists with Just Stop Oil are scheduled to appear in court on Monday, May 29th, for disrupting the English Premiership rugby final over the weekend.
Wearing the group’s characteristic orange t-shirts, the two men stormed the pitch during the first half of the rugby final at Twickenham on Saturday, scattering orange powder paint.
They were quickly removed, and the game resumed, with Saracens going on to beat Sale, 35-25.
The two activists were identified by Just Stop Oil as Patrick Hart, 37, a doctor from Bristol, and Sam Johnson, 40, a construction worker from Essex. They were remanded in custody and given a Monday court date.
Police said the incident caused “frustration to both the players and spectators,” and assured the public that they “will continue to monitor and respond to such incidents quickly.”
“Where protest moves into criminality or serious disruption, we will take robust action to ensure Londoners and visitors alike can continue to enjoy their Bank Holiday weekend,” Commander Kyle Gordon of the Metropolitan Police said.
In April, the UK introduced tougher laws on protesters who disrupt public order by actions such as blocking roads and interrupting public events. The same day as the rugby game disruptions, several hundred demonstrators, including Just Stop Oil members, gathered in central London to protest the recent public order laws.
Just Stop Oil said over 2,100 of its protesters had been arrested and 138 have spent time in prison since it launched its campaign in February last year.
The campaign has included disrupting several other public events in the UK.
