Just Stop Oil pitch invaders met their match at Twickenham today as burly rugby players helped security staff take them away after they disrupted the English Premiership Final.
The protesters stormed the pitch shortly after the game between Sale Sharks and Saracens got underway, to a chorus of boos from furious rugby fans. Crowds were soon cheering triumphantly as quick-thinking staff removed them from the pitch.
England and Sale player Tom Curry, who weighs in at a whopping 17st and towers over most at 6ft 1in, lifted one of the protesters by his trousers as he gave staff a hand in removing him from the pitch.
The climate activists have been identified as Bristol GP Dr Patrick Hart, 37, and Sam Johnson, 40, a construction worker from Essex.
They ran towards the middle of the ground, where the ball was at the time, releasing the distinctive orange powder JSO activists also unleashed at the Chelsea Flower Show and recent snooker world championship.
One of the activists was lifted into the air by stewards and even Sale Sharks player, Tom Curry gave them a hand

A protester stormed the pitch midway through the first half of the match between Sale and Saracens

The pitch invaders were pelted with beer by furious rugby fans after they disrupted the match

Crowds cheered his exit as security intervened to drag him out of the stadium

The protesters stormed the pitch midway through the first half of the match between Sale and Saracens

Just Stop Oil said two protesters disrupted the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final

Just Stop Oil said two protesters disrupted the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final just 15 minutes into the match

The protesters released orange powder onto the pitch
The game had to be stopped, and wasn’t restarted again until quick-thinking stewards and security staff intervened to drag the disruptors out of the stadium.
Just Stop Oil said two protesters disrupted the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final just 15 minutes into the match.
They said their activists did so to demand a halt to new licences for oil, gas and coal projects in the UK.
One of the men who invaded the pitch is Dr Patrick Hart, 37, according to the climate action group.
The GP from Bristol said he was staging the protest ‘because it’s my duty as a doctor’ to draw attention to the climate crisis, ‘the greatest health crisis humanity has ever faced’.
The other man who stormed the pitch was Sam Johnson, 40, a construction worker from Essex.
The men were pulled off the pitch by their orange JSO t-shirts, with Twickenham stewards making sure the game could go on.
Even one of the players got stuck in as the activists were removed from the pitch, lifting him up by his trousers.

Protesters disrupted the rugby union match between Saracens and Sale Sharks at Twickenham Stadium

The protesters ran onto the pitch as the match was underway

The men were dragged away by Twickenham stewards

Orange powder filled the air in Twickenham stadium

A ‘Just Stop Oil’ protestor invades the pitch and is apprehended by stewards
A statement from Twickenham Stadium read: ‘Twickenham Stadium can confirm two people have been arrested and this is now a police matter.
‘We would like to thank our stewarding team who acted decisively and swiftly.’
It comes after three activists struck at the Chelsea Flower Show earlier this week.
They were hosed down by an irate visitor after they threw orange ‘biodegradable cornstarch’ over the flowers and hard landscaping of the RBC Brewin Dolphin garden.
Met Police officers arrested the women soon after for criminal damage.
They were named by JSO as Stephanie Golder, 35, Naomi Goddard, 58, a retired landscape engineer, and Rosa Hicks, 28.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk