With undercover agents: Wimbledon arms itself against climate activists

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Wimbledon organizers are under fire. The reason? A sponsorship deal with British bank Barclays. This was signed last November and brings the tournament about 23 million euros per year.

Climate activists see this as a violation of the tournament’s sustainability promise. “Simply put, Barclays is financing and benefiting from climate chaos, and accepting a sponsorship deal with Barclays is an endorsement of those actions,” it said in an open letter. Celebrities such as actress Emma Thompson and screenwriter Richard Curtis have also signed it.

A Wimbledon spokesperson told The Guardian that Barclays’ commitment to making sport accessible to all is close to their hearts and an important part of the partnership.

Measures taken

Yet they arm themselves against actions of organizations such as “Just Stop Oil”. This has repeatedly blocked traffic or disrupted sporting events in recent months.

In Wimbledon, special undercover agents are positioned at key points to observe visitors and intervene if they behave suspiciously.

Director Sally Bolton addressed this in a speech on Monday. You’ve seen at other sporting events that you can’t guarantee anything. “But we are confident that the measures we have taken are the right ones and we are ready to deal with them if anything happens.”

Extensive checks at the entrance

Andy Murray, Wimbledon champion in 2013 and 2016, still believes disruptive action will take place, according to the “Guardian”. Because he believes in the environmental organization’s concerns, even if he doesn’t always approve of their actions.

Other measures were taken at Wimbledon. In this way, all spectators who want to enter the facility are carefully checked. As a result, it takes longer to enter. Cable ties, glue, chains and padlocks have been added to the list of prohibited items. Chalk, dust or powdered substances are also prohibited. This is because Just Stop Oil often disrupts events with explosions of colored chalk.

So far it has been quiet for the first two days. The course of the tournament will show whether the measures taken were necessary. (bir)

Source : Blick