The Arthur Ashe Stadium was brimming with excitement, nail-biting adrenaline, and loud cheers for the two talented opponents on September 7. The semi-final match between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova was an epic saga of offense-defense, and neither woman backed down at any moment. The long rallies had people’s heads moving side-to-side, and the constant match points had everyone on the edge of their seats.
But then, in a moment of unfathomable incident, the audience got agitated over an abrupt pause to the match.
Right before the victorious climax, four climate protestors took the stands advocating to end the use of fossil fuels. They went on for 49 minutes as one of the protestors glued his bare feet on the concrete. The play had to be stopped while the security dealt with the “sticky” situation.
What Is the U.S. Open Protest About?
After Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain, the coalition of the former members of the two activist groups yielded a new environmental association called Just Stop Oil. The organization first came into prominence during the March 2022 protests.
The vision of the consolidated group is to demand the government to “immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development, and production of fossil fuels in the U.K.”
Their earlier protest included invading pitches at various Premier League football grounds. Then, the infamous throwing soup was at Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ painting.
After encroaching cricket stadiums, snooker championships, and BBC proms concert at Royal Albert Hall, the protestors have now set their mark at the coveted women’s U.S. Open.
Their agenda is pretty straightforward– urging the government to take notice of the drastic effects of climate, precisely because of the use of fossil fuels.
Why Is the U.S. Open Suspended?
The security tried to contain the situation for 49 minutes. The protestors refused to budge from their stance as one of them glued his bare feet to the ground. Thus, it led to a delay in the U.S. Open semi-final match between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova.
Gauff was leading the game with 6-4, 1-0 before the protest started. But she maintained her composure and focused on the game as the two players halted the game and took the sidelines. Both players consulted their respective coaches for further strategy.
After several match points, Gauff achieved the great feat with 6-4, 7-5.
At just 19, she is one of the youngest players to qualify for the U.S. Open finals after Serena Williams.
At the same time, she is just wise beyond her years, considering her response to the protests-
“I definitely believe in climate change. I think there are things we can do better. I know the tournaments are doing things to do better for the environment. Would I prefer it not happening in my match? 100 per cent. I’m not gonna sit here and lie. But I wasn’t pissed at the protesters. I know the stadium was, because it just interrupted entertainment.”
“I always speak about preaching about what you feel and what you believe in. It was done in a peaceful way, so I can’t get too mad at it. Obviously I don’t want it to happen when I’m winning 6-4, 1-0, and I wanted the momentum to keep going. But hey, if that’s what they felt they needed to do to get their voices heard, I can’t really get upset at it.”
The U.S. Open tournament director, Stacey Allaster, told ESPN–
“Two of them [protesters] were removed; they quietly left without further protest,”
“When security got there, they found that one of the protesters had physically glued themselves in their bare feet to the cement floor.”
“The protesters were wearing T-shirts with the logo of the Extinction Rebellion protest group and bearing the slogan ‘End Fossil Fuels.'”
Regarding the consequences for the climate protestors, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) issued a statement–
“The fourth protester affixed their bare feet to the floor of the seating bowl,”
“Due to the nature of this action, NYPD and medical personnel were needed in order to safely remove this individual from the stadium.”
U.S. Open Latest Update
Regardless, it was a huge win for Gauff, who qualified to the final against Aryna Sabalenka.
Fans praised both women’s sportsmanship and cheered for Gauff’s historic win –
What is your take on the climate protests? Do they contribute to the much-needed climate change discourse, or are they creating a nuisance?
Do you believe that the protestors deserve punishment for peaceful protests? Let us know in the comments section below.
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