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Andy Murray warns Just Stop Oil against targeting Wimbledon as group defends Ashes pitch invasion
Andy Murray has expressed concerns about the potential disruption of Wimbledon by a protest organized by the Just Stop Oil (JSO) group. While he supports the cause of the climate group, he has advised activists against targeting The Championships due to the potential danger involved. As a two-time Wimbledon champion, Murray emphasized that invading the courts could pose a risk as tennis players are equipped with rackets. With Wimbledon commencing today, heightened security measures are in place due to recent incidents where JSO activists targeted other sports events, such as the Grand National, World Snooker Championships, and the Ashes Test match at Lord’s. During the latter, England cricketer Jonny Bairstow intervened and removed a protester from the pitch.
The NHS is one of our nation’s greatest institutions and I am honoured to support its 75th birthday by backing ‘parkrun for the NHS’ on 8 & 9 July. I encourage everyone to head down to their local parkrun and join in the fun! #NHS75parkrun @NHSEngland https://t.co/JkiNpniwEL pic.twitter.com/0m42ry4WcL
— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) May 26, 2023
“I think there is probably a good chance of something happening,” said Murray ahead of the start of the first round on Monday.
“I was talking about it with my family the other day. I don’t know, if somebody ran onto the court and came towards you, what your reaction would be to that because you don’t know who it is or what they are doing or why they are doing it.
“I didn’t see what Jonny Bairstow did, but it could be dangerous. If they would attach themselves to the net or throw something onto the court – they have to be a bit careful going near to tennis players who obviously have got rackets in their hands.”
The British tennis star added: “I agree with the cause – just not always how they go about expressing it. Rather than running on the court, maybe they could do it a different way.”
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