A woman demonstrator ran onto the field at Lord’s just minutes after the first Test between England and Zimbabwe started today, protesting against the regime of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.Carrying a banner reading “bowl out killer Mugabe”, the woman was stopped from reaching the centre of the field and, while play stopped briefly, she was escorted from pitch by four stewards and now is liable for prosecution and a fine of up to 1,000 pounds ($1,600). British lawmakers joined protestors outside the home of English cricket and, before the match began, around two dozens protestors sang, whistled and held up placards behind a fence opposite the Ornate Grace gates.As spectators entered the ground, a roofless traditional double-decker bus drove up and down the street outside Lord’s with a brass band, urging drivers to honk their horns in support.Former Sports Minister Kate Hoey was one of eight lawmakers as part of the protest and one of 94 who signed a motion in the House of Commons on Tuesday against the tour. She handed out leaflets and black armbands to the suited spectators entering the ground.“I’m here like everybody else to show people we should not be playing this match while things are not normal in Zimbabwe,” Hoey said.Protest organiser Peter Tatchell, a longtime anti-Mugabe campaigner, warned demonstrators could disrupt the the match. Extra police, including some on horseback, kept watch around the stadium and the nearby subway station. “We have people on the inside who we hope will succeed in disrupting the match,” Tatchell said.
