World Snooker Championship 2023: Chaos at The Crucible as protestor covers table in orange powder during match

A second protester tried to attach themselves to another table at the same time before being halted

The World Snooker Championship descended into chaos on Monday night when a protester stormed The Crucible tipped orange paint powder onto one of the tables during a match.

A man wearing a ‘Just Stop Oil’ T-shirt interrupted the matchin Sheffield between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry by jumping onto one of the tables and tipping out the powder, while quick-thinking referee Olivier Marteel managed tackled a woman from executing a similar stunt on the other table.

Play was suspended for the evening on the affected table, while the match between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi resumed after a delay of approximately 45 minutes.

A Just Stop Oil protester is removed after jumping on the table and throwing orange powder during the match between Robert Milkins against Joe Perry during day three of the Cazoo World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.

Edinburgh-born seven-time world snooker champion Stephen Hendry, on commentary duties for the BBC, called the incident “scary” and admitted: “I have never seen that before at a snooker event. It’s a first.”

The protesters were held backstage by tournament security officials until the police arrived.

South Yorkshire Police later confirmed two people had been arrested and remained in custody.

“Two people were detained after protestors gained entry to The Crucible earlier this evening (Monday 17 April),” the force said in a statement.

“A 30-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. Both are in police custody.”

Just Stop Oil issued a statement which read: “At around 7:20pm, two Just Stop Oil supporters have disrupted the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, interrupting play.

“The pair proceeded to cover the tables in orange powder paint before being removed by security and arrested.

“They are demanding that the Government immediately stop all new UK fossil fuel projects and are calling on UK sporting institutions to step into civil resistance against the Government’s genocidal policies.”