Calay News
The women’s semifinal of the US Open was interrupted for approximately 50 minutes due to an apparent protest by anti-climate change activists in the stands.
Coco Gauff, the young local tennis player, was leading the score 6-4, 1-0, when screams began to be heard from the top of Center Court in New York. A group of three protesters wore T-shirts reading “End Fossil Fuels.”
The protest drew boos and chants of “Throw them out” from other spectators on Center Court, which seats 23,000.
Gauff and her opponent, Karolina Muchova, waited on the court as security personnel moved toward the protest area. After around 15 minutes of waiting, both players chose to take their backpacks and go to the changing rooms.
Two of the protesters were removed by security personnel, but the third appeared to have stuck to the concrete floor of the pitch, making it difficult to evacuate.
The incident occurred around 8:00 p.m. local time, and after waiting on the court, Gauff and Muchova returned to the locker room, where they tried to stay active and consulted with their coaches.
Finally, the third protester was led away in handcuffs, to boos from nearby onlookers. The players returned to the court and, after a brief warm-up, resumed play.
This incident adds to a series of protests by climate activists during major sporting events around the world. In July, three people were arrested for disrupting a game at Wimbledon by throwing confetti and puzzle pieces onto the court, facing aggravated trespassing charges.
