Pro-Palestine pitch invader breaches security at World Cup final
Incident occurred during India's innings, with the person getting as far as Virat Kohli in the middle
PTI
19-Nov-2023
A pro-Palestine spectator held up play during the World Cup final • Getty Images
A pro-Palestine pitch invader breached the security cordon at the Narendra Modi Stadium during the World Cup final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad.
The incident took place just before the first drinks break during India's innings and the person got as far as Virat Kohli in the middle before being apprehended by security personnel.
The pitch invader was identified as Wayne Johnson, an Australian of Chinese-Filipino origin, who was arrested and taken to Chand Kheda Police station in Ahmedabad, according to PTI.
Johnson had worn a face mask with a design of the Palestine flag and a T-shirt with the slogans "Stop bombing Palestine" on the front and "Save Palestine" on the back. The ICC does not allow political protests at cricket games but with Johnson being a foreign national, it is not yet known what kind of action will be taken against him.
Israel and Palestine militant group Hamas have been engaged in a war since October 7.