A pro-Palestine fan breached a tight security cordon to enter the field of play in a desperate attempt to hug Virat Kohli during the ODI World Cup 2023 final between India against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
In an unexpected turn of events during the ODI World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, a young man created a disturbance by breaching tight security measures at the venue. Wearing Team India's jersey as a disguise, he took advantage of the massive crowd, with over 1 lakh people sporting T-India jerseys, and suddenly revealed a jersey supporting Palestine as he jumped onto the field.
fan invaded world cup final . Stop bombing palestine written on tshirt pic.twitter.com/jEQT4ucFvi
— yuvastra (@yuvastra)The individual, identified as Wayne Johnson, an Australian of Chinese-Filipino origin, attempted to approach Virat Kohli during the match. Furthermore, Johnson's attire included a face mask adorned with the design of the Palestinian flag and a T-shirt with slogans supporting Palestine. The front of the T-shirt read 'Stop bombing Palestine,' while the back stated 'Free Palestine.' The choice of slogans aligns with the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
A pitch invader at cricket World Cup final with a message on his T-shirt ‘Stop Bombing Palestine’ in Ahmedabad, India.
Photos: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images. pic.twitter.com/EjJXqGN3xf
The pitch invader's shirt also said 'Free Palestine' from the back and he hugged King Kohli in Ahmedabad during the World Cup final 🇵🇸👀 pic.twitter.com/uVFHMH05rZ
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan)Security personnel acted swiftly, apprehending him before any untoward incident could occur. Johnson was subsequently arrested and taken to the city's Chandkheda Police station for further interrogation.
One notable aspect of the incident is the fan's unique method of avoiding security scrutiny by initially wearing Team India's jersey. Johnson managed to take a selfie and record a video from inside the stands while wearing the India jersey, which the police retrieved from his phone. The video has now gone viral on X, sparking a massive reaction.
भारत और ऑस्ट्रेलिया के मैच के दौरान खलल डालने वाला ये लड़का सुरक्षा एजेंसियों को चकमा देने के लिए टीम इंडिया की जर्सी पहन कर आया था (आज ग्राउंड पर 1 लाख से जय लोग टी इंडिया क जर्सी पहने हुए हैं, जिस बात का इसने फायदा उठाया) और अचानक टीम इंडिया क जर्सी उतार कर उसके नीचे फिलिस्तीन… pic.twitter.com/tQAIaRKDD9
— Nirnay Kapoor (@nirnaykapoor)It has been revealed that Johnson is considered mentally disturbed, adding a layer of complexity to the situation. The Ahmedabad police are currently conducting an inquiry to gather more information about his motives and intentions.
While political sloganeering is strictly prohibited at cricket matches, especially during prestigious events like the World Cup, the situation becomes more nuanced with Johnson being a foreign national. The response from authorities regarding potential legal actions against him remains uncertain.