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Snooker World Championship halted as protesters storm tables

Brad Ferguson
Updated
The protesters - wearing 'Just Stop Oil' shirts - invaded the Sheffield arena shortly after play had begun on the evening session of day three
The protesters - wearing 'Just Stop Oil' shirts - invaded the Sheffield arena shortly after play had begun on the evening session of day threeProfimedia
Chaos unfolded at the Crucible during the 2023 Snooker World Championship on Monday evening after two protesters stormed the arena, with one managing to interrupt play and cover the table in orange paint.

The protesters - wearing 'Just Stop Oil' shirts - invaded the Sheffield stage shortly after play had begun on the evening session of day three.

One male activist managed to jump on top of a table during the first-round match taking place on live television between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry, knocking a couple of balls before unleashing a packet of orange-coloured dye.

A female protester was also stopped from interrupting the match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi after a quick intervention by the referee.

Play was suspended as cleaners looked to clean up the mess ahead of any play continuing. 

Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, working as a pundit at the event for the BBC, told of his shock at the chaotic scenes: "I have never seen that before at a snooker event. It's a first.

"It is scary. You just hope the cloth can be recovered from that. It caught us all by surprise and then this happens.

"For me, straight away as a snooker player I am thinking: 'Is the table recoverable?' We don't know what that is on the table."

The protestors have reportedly now been removed from the venue and play has resumed after a 45-minute delay.

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