Friendly flyers, a proper picket and polite placards: a Wimbledon protest | Andy Bull


The All England Lawn Tennis Club is accused of ‘squishing locals’ as it turns a park set aside for public use into a car park during the championships

There was a little knot of demonstrators on Wimbledon Park Road on Friday morning, just up the way from the All England Lawn Tennis Club. It was a very proper little picket, polite placards, friendly flyers inviting people to sign a petition.

As protests go, it was ever so SW19, a civil sort of disobedience. “Welcome to Wimbledon Park!” the handouts read, “The Wimbledon and Southfields communities hope you have a great day at the tennis. They are giving up a lot so you can park here today.” Mainly their public park land, which the club has taken over so it can be used as a car park during the tournament.

Related: Wimbledon 2021: Murray, Djokovic and Evans in action, Muguruza out – live!

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