Environmental activist group Just Stop Oil has protested EGX 2023 in London today, disrupting Tekken 7 finals by storming the stage during a match. The protestors fire orange paint from a water gun over the gaming equipment, preventing the players from finishing the match.

Just Stop Oil has shared footage of the incident itself, showing the three protestors taking to the stage before being removed by security. While on stage, they reaffirmed their call on the UK government to cease oil, coal, and gas licencing.

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Just as the finals begin, two of the demonstrators walk up to the Tekken players, smearing their hands on the monitors. We later see that their hands are covered in orange paint, so this was presumably done to damage the equipment and prevent the players from continuing the match. Another Just Stop Oil member then starts to shoot paint from a water gun, targeting the stage and overhead display.

"We are Just Stop Oil, and we are demanding that the UK government immediately cease all new licencing for coal, oil, and gas," says one of the demonstrators in the video. "The UK government is playing with our lives."

Since the incident, Just Stop Oil has issued a statement, explaining why it targeted EGX.

"EXG23 [sic] is sponsored by Barclays Bank, who have been described [as] the 'Europe’s number 1 financier of the climate crisis'", reads a press release. "They have financed around $167 billion in fossil fuels. Moreover, Shell sponsors popular game Fortnite as well as gaming influencers."

Just Stop Oil says that its members were arrested for criminal damage by the Metropolitan Police. The move also appears to have been negatively received by attendees, many of which boo the protestors in the video. Regardless, the group defends its actions.

"Video games let us escape into new and exciting dimensions, but real world physics are about to deliver the deaths of billions," says a Just Stop Oil spokesperson. "Put more carbon into the atmosphere at this point and it’s game over."

EGX has not issued a statement at this time, but it's not the only disruption at the event this year. Earlier in the week, a talk titled What Does A Community Manager Really Do? was heckled by audience members who sexually harassed the hosts. EGX has apologised for this and for security not being on hand to immediately eject the guests who were hurling the abuse. It remains to be seen if EGX issues a public statement on these on-stage disruptions, particularly since the Just Stop Oil incident led to arrests.

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