Wayne Lumbasi
Thursday’s Premier League match between Everton and Newcastle was interrupted after a pitch invader tied himself to one of the goalposts at Goodison Park.
The Play was brought to a halt shortly after the start of the second half when the protester managed to attach his neck to the post using cable ties.
After a six-minute delay with the protester finally freed, he threw himself to the ground to prolong the stoppage. More unsavoury scenes followed as a disgruntled Everton supporter come onto the pitch to drag him back to his feet.
The protester, who was wearing an orange t-shirt with ‘just stop oil’ printed on it, had to be carried off the pitch by police officers. The other fan who came into the pitch was also ejected. The 21-year-old was staging a protest representing the views of a group called Just Stop Oil who are concerned about new oil fields in the North Sea.
The protest was to draw attention to the group’s demand that the UK government ends all new fossil fuel supply projects. The group of activists took to social media shortly after to claim responsibility and shared Louis’ reasoning behind the stunt.
“It’s 2022 and it’s time to look up, time to step up and not stand by. It’s time to act like it’s an emergency,” they posted on Twitter.
“Report after report is telling me that my future is going to be dire, and my government is telling me not to worry and pay into a pension. But we have a choice. We can choose to highlight that our climate is breaking down, we can choose to resist this government that is betraying us, we can choose to step up and not stand by.”
Just Stop Oil added: “Our government is betraying us by funding new oil fields in the North Sea. New oil means destruction of our children’s future. It means war on small island states. And it means suffering now for the poorest and most marginalized in all regions. We must #JustStopOil. It’s a no-brainer.”
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