Climate change activist lights self, tennis court on fire during Laver Cup

A climate change activist lit himself and London’s O2 arena tennis court on fire Friday during the Laver Cup, according to multiple reports.

The unnamed protester, clad in a white t-shirt emblazoned with “end UK private jets,” carried a lighter with him before sitting down on the court near the net to set his arm and the court on fire before a stunned crowd that began to whistle in disapproval. Two arena security officials rushed onto the court to put out the fire and before carrying the protester away.

The protest delayed the second set between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Diego Schwartzman, according to reports.

Security guards eventually removed the man from the court.

After the incident, Tsitsipas said, “It came out of nowhere. ... I never had an incident like this happen on court.”

The Laver Cup issued a statement:

“A man accessed the court this afternoon and was promptly removed by security. Play was stopped briefly, he has been arrested and the situation is being handled by the police.”

Back in June, a protester at the French Open attached herself to the net with wires and glue, interrupting the men’s semifinals.

And back in April in the NBA, a woman made her way to the court at a Minnesota Timberwolves game and glued her hand to that court in protest of T-Wolves owner Glen Taylor’s factory egg farm. The woman, whose name is Alicia Santurio, wore a T-shirt that read “GLEN TAYLOR ROASTS ANIMALS ALIVE.”