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A man from Weymouth has been charged following reports that a man ran on to the pitch at the Everton v Newcastle United Premier League fixture at Goodison last night (Thursday 17 March).
At around 8.55pm it was reported that a man disrupted the match by running on to the pitch and tying himself to the goal post at the Howard Kendall Gwladys Street End.
Louis McKechnie, 21, of Weymouth was charged with Pitch Encroachment and Aggravated Trespass and is due to attend Liverpool Community Justice Court on Tuesday 19th April 2022.
He has been bailed and is banned from attending any venue being used for a regulated football match in England and Wales, any sporting venues being used for a televised event in England and Wales and any venues being used for a televised event in England and Wales.
The protester was wearing a t-shirt with the name of the campaign group “Just Stop Oil” which is a coalition of groups “taking direct action to demand that the government immediately halt all future licensing and consents for the exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK.”
The group released a statement that read: “A young supporter of Just Stop Oil ran onto the pitch during the Everton vs Newcastle United game to draw attention to the group’s demand that the Government ends all new fossil fuel supply projects.”
The protester named by the group as ‘Louis’ said, “It’s 2022 and it’s time to look up, time to step up and not stand by. It’s time to act like it’s an emergency.
“Report after report is telling me that my future is going to be dire, and my government is telling me not to worry and pay into a pension.
“My generation is being shafted — we face a cost of living crisis, a housing crisis, a fuel crisis and an unlivable planet — but we have a choice. We can choose to highlight that our climate is breaking down, we can choose to resist this government that is betraying us, we can choose to step up and not stand by.”
The suspect, a 21-year-old man, has been arrested on suspicion of pitch encroachment. He is now in police custody.
The game resumed and 14 minutes of stoppage time was added because of the protest. Everton’s Alex Iwobi scored the only goal of the game in the 99th minute.
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