Just Stop Oil: Two charged for Twickenham protest at Premiership final

Two Just Stop Oil protestors who interrupted the Gallagher Premiership final on Saturday have been charged by the Metropolitan Police.

The Met confirmed that Samuel Johnson, 40, of Reydon, Suffolk, and Patrick Hart, 37, of Brislington, Bristol, were charged with aggravated trespass. The men are accused of entering the pitch midway through the first half of the final which Saracens won 35-25, throwing orange powder paint on to the pitch leading to a loud chorus of boos from the 60,000 crowd.

England flanker Tom Curry helped stewards escort one of the protestors from the pitch while Sale Sharks captain Jono Ross needed to be restrained from engaging with the other protestor.

A statement from Commander Kyle Gordon, of the Met, read: “To date we have seen 102 slow marches across London by Just Stop Oil that has caused serious disruption and frustration to those going about their business in the city leading to 51 arrests to date.

“Similarly, yesterday’s incident at the rugby final will have caused frustration to both the players and spectators alike. With many other events taking place, and visitors in our capital this weekend, we will continue to monitor and respond to such incidents quickly.

“Where protest moves into criminality or serious disruption, we will take robust action to ensure Londoners and visitors alike can continue to enjoy their Bank Holiday weekend.”

Just Stop Oil confirmed the identity and actions of their protestors. There are serious questions of how easily the protestors were able to enter the pitch at Twickenham with the organisation making no secret of their targeting of high profile occasions following similar protests at the World Snooker Championships and the Chelsea Flower Show.

Indeed Saracens and England second row Maro Itoje went as far to suggest that it was a compliment that the Premiership final, which was being broadcast on BT Sport and ITV, should have been targeted. Itoje, Saracens and England second row, said: "I don't even know if we should be honoured.

“Maybe we should be honoured that they have targeted that as a game big enough to (attract attention).

"That's probably a good thing for Premiership Rugby. I have been in games with streakers before. I think there was an England game when that happened.

“You can't pay too much attention to it. It gave us a little bit of time to rest and fair play to the guys who are tackling them. I was just conserving my energy. I guess the whole aim of what they are trying to do is to try to raise awareness about their cause but from a player's point of view we just had to focus on what was next and that's what we tried to do.”

Ross, who was playing the final match of his career, had a far less sympathetic viewpoint. “It is completely against everything I believe in,” he said. “Then to come into sporting events and ruin sporting events week in, week out — I don’t agree with it. I don’t agree with what they stand for.”