Two protesters just brought a Wimbledon match to a screeching halt ... after they rushed the court and hurled confetti all over the place.
The bizarre scene went down just minutes ago during Sho Shimabukuro's first-round tilt with Grigor Dimitrov ... when a man and a woman wearing "Just Stop Oil" T-shirts leaped from the crowd and disrupted play.
The two unloaded boxes full of orange paper ... as well as puzzle pieces -- all while Shimabukuro and Dimitrov looked on from just feet away.
Someone just threw a puzzle & confetti onto Court 18 during Dimitrov vs Sho at Wimbledon
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 5, 2023
Just Stop Oil protesters are attempting to leave their mark.
Activism is important, but this is not how you go about it.
I don’t see how this is helpful or productive towards their cause. pic.twitter.com/MSeh6NYByR
They quickly escorted the woman from the area ... but the man sat cross-legged on the court until security pulled him away from the scene.
#JustStopOil are as welcome as a fart in a lift…. #wimbledon2023 #WIMBLEDON pic.twitter.com/sUSDc44KAY
— John James (@JohnJamesNI) July 5, 2023
Activist group Just Stop Oil (who are known for these kinds of stunts) took credit for the commotion in a series of tweets Wednesday morning ... saying the actions were in response to Wimbledon's sponsorship deal with Barclays, an org. which Just Stop Oil officials claim has "given £30 billion to oil and gas companies" in the past two years.
Play was delayed for several minutes as Wimbledon workers cleared the confetti from the court ... though the match has since resumed.