Title: Environmental Activists Disrupt Tekken 7 Tournament at UK Gaming Event
Date: October 15, 2023
In a dramatic turn of events, environmental activist group Just Stop Oil staged a disruptive protest during a Tekken 7 tournament at the UK gaming event EGX in London yesterday. Three members of the group targeted the winners final of the tournament, smearing orange paint onto the monitors used by the finalists and using modified water pistols to disrupt the match display. Videos of the incident quickly circulated online, capturing the attention of the gaming community.
According to a press release posted on the Just Stop Oil website, the activists were swiftly escorted out of the venue by security before being arrested by the Metropolitan Police for criminal damage. The disruption aimed to raise awareness about the group’s mission to halt all new gas and oil projects in the UK. They also highlighted the involvement of Barclays bank in EGX. The Rainforest Action Network’s report revealed that Barclays had invested a staggering $190.58 billion in fossil fuel financing between 2016 and 2022. The bank has been sponsoring the Rezzed Stage at EGX for the past three years.
A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil emphasized the urgency of the situation by stating, “Video games let us escape into new and exciting dimensions, but real-world physics are about to deliver the deaths of billions. Put more carbon into the atmosphere at this point, and it’s game over. Gamers cooperate to win, and we need these skills to survive.” The group is now calling on gamers and the public to join them in a march through London starting from October 29, as a form of peaceful civil resistance against new oil and gas projects.
One protester involved in the disruptive action expressed, “It is vital that we draw as much attention as possible to the genocidal decisions the government is making. I won’t stand aside while billions are sentenced to death, and neither should you.”
ReedPop, the organizer of EGX, responded to the incident, stating that venue security and authorities handled the situation promptly. The disruptive individuals were peacefully removed from the event, allowing the esports tournament to resume after a short setback.
In the aftermath of this disruption, the gaming community finds itself at the crossroads of social activism and entertainment. As debates surrounding environmental issues continue to gain traction, incidents like these serve as a reminder that even the virtual world cannot shield us from the consequences of our actions.
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