Masked pro-Palestine protester stops play in Cam Norrie’s Australian Open match by throwing leaflets on to court with security nowhere to be seen… before fans step in to escort her out!
- The protester brought the match to a halt before being sent off in Melbourne
- The leaflets called Australia ‘complicit’ in ‘war crimes and genocide’
- Norrie vs Zverev LIVE: Follow the action on the pitch with Mail Sport’s live coverage
A masked protester disrupted the Australian Open quarter-final between Cameron Norrie and Alexander Zverev on Monday by throwing ‘Free Palestine’ leaflets onto the court.
The protester’s leaflets were quickly taken away by officials on the pitch, but it was left to two fans who were at the protest to escort them out of Margaret Court Arena.
The British No. 1 was serving in the third set and preparing to win his game with an advantage to make it 4-2.
But both Zverev and Norrie were forced to stop and wait for the protest – which took place behind the German No. 6 seed – to clear at the back of the field.
Those present in the arena claimed that security was slow to act the independent reported that after the protester was ejected, the stadium erupted in applause.
A protester threw flyers in support of a ‘Free Palestine’ during Cameron Norrie’s match in Melbourne on Monday
Staff bent down to clear the leaflets from the pitch during an enforced stoppage in play at Margaret Court
Norrie, who was preparing to serve for the match, appeared stunned by the disruption on the show court
His opponent Alexander Zverev saw the leaflets fall to the back of the field halfway through the match
The pamphlets appeared to emphasize “war crimes and genocide” and carried the slogan “Liberate Palestine” in an effort to raise awareness of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
“While you are watching tennis, bombs are falling on Gaza,” the pamphlet read.
‘Australia is a close ally of Israel. Australia is complicit in war crimes and genocide.”
Monday’s demonstration during the grand slam quarterfinals marks the latest attempt to use tennis’ biggest platform — the majors — as a place to organize protests.
In July, Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted matches at Wimbledon, with Norrie’s compatriot Katie Boulter also falling victim to an unexpected delay.
Instead of waiting for security, tennis fans tried to quickly escort the protester out
The protester was carried up the stairs and out of the arena by two fans who struck
Around the stadium, fans took the opportunity to focus on the drama rather than the tennis
Group member Willian John Ward ran onto Court 18 during Boulter’s clash with Daria Saville and threw orange confetti onto the hallowed grass.
The protester had bypassed numerous security checkpoints set up in an attempt to derail protest efforts by bringing in the confetti in a Wimbledon jigsaw puzzle box.
Grigor Dimitrov’s match against Sho Shumabukuro’s match was also disrupted during a similar protest earlier in the day, but the use of ticker tape instead of the group’s signature orange fabric allowed play to resume quickly in both matches.
After the protest, Mr Ward said: ‘I don’t like making noise but I don’t want my grandchildren, nieces and nephews to suffer. Right now, millions of people are being forced outside the conditions necessary to sustain human life.”
Last year, Wimbledon was also interrupted by protesters from Just Stop Oil, who threw orange confetti on Court 18
British Katie Boulter was seen helping the ball boys and girls pick up orange confetti that had been thrown on the ground
After being escorted from court, Ward was later arrested on suspicion of serious trespass and criminal damage.
The ground tried to combat future – or inspired – protests in a similar manner by banning the sale of souvenir puzzles in the official Wimbledon store.