It was during the closing hours of the EGX 2023 showcase – a London-based gaming expo – that Just Stop Oil protestors made their way into the event, disrupting a Tekken 7 tournament. In typical Just Stop Oil fashion, this small group of protestors – whose identities have since been revealed – sprayed orange paint across screens and the stage. It caused an hour-long delay in the tournament, but during the ‘protest’ taking place, the competitors just continued beating seven bells out of one another.

Following the incident, some users slammed EGX’s security protocols, as it obviously took quite some time for anyone to turn up to remove the protesters. Having attended EGX myself, I can confirm that there were glaring holes in security, including massive open doors guarded by a single person. Reportedly, the protesters had legitimately gained access to the event dressed as Ghostbusters cosplayers, and shortly after their escapades, they were arrested by London’s Metropolitan Police.

It Changed Nothing

During the incident that saw orange paint sprayed over much of the stage — including the competitors — the protesters were removed from the event. It wasn’t broadcasted on the tournament’s stream, and the only footage that exists was captured by the protestors themselves. Following a 45-minute delay while monitors were cleaned of orange smears, the tournament went live again, with those in attendance revelling in the Tekken 7 action once again, almost immediately forgetting what had just happened.

In a tweet posted shortly after the incident, Just Stop Oil’s representatives boasted that they’d disrupted ‘the UK’s Biggest Gaming Convention’ – even though it isn’t. These days, that accolade goes to the Insomnia Gaming Festival that’s hosted in Birmingham. Despite clearly disrupting an entertaining grassroots tournament, a Just Stop Oil spokesperson tried to gain ground by talking positively about gaming:

‘Gamers co-operate to win, and we need these skills to survive. Everyone must step up and join in civil resistance against new oil and gas, because this isn’t a game. Let’s unite to make this world safe, so that we can get back to exploring cyber worlds.’

Ultimately, like with many of these protests, the incident gained nothing but negative sentiments for Just Stop Oil.

Related: Tekken 8 Has Already Been Cracked