British police said they arrested two people “on suspicion of damaging” the prehistoric monument, which the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has listed as a World Heritage Site.
Police said they arrested two climate protesters for spraying orange paint on Stonehenge, a prehistoric UNESCO World Heritage site in southern England.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak quickly condemned the act by Just Stop Oil on Wednesday, calling it a “disgraceful act of sabotage.” Labor leader Keir Starmer, his main opponent in next month’s election, described the group as “pathetic” and said the damage was “obscene”.
The accident came just one day before thousands gathered at the 4,500-year-old stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
English Heritage, which runs the site, said it was “deeply disturbing” and said curators were investigating the damage. Just Stop Oil said on social media platform X that the paint is made from cornstarch and will dissolve in the rain.
🚨 BREAKING: Just stop the Stonehenge Orange oil spray
🔥 Two people took action the day before the summer solstice, calling on the incoming government to sign a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.
🧯 Help us take megalithic action – https://t.co/R20S8YQD1j pic.twitter.com/ufzO8ZiDWu
– Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) June 19, 2024
Wiltshire Police said the protesters were arrested on suspicion of damaging the memorial.
Police said: “Officers attended the scene and arrested two people on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument.” “Our inquiries are ongoing and we are working closely with English Heritage.”
Footage posted on social media showed activists wearing “Just Stop Oil” T-shirts spraying a group of rock stones with an orange substance from a small can.
Niamh Lynch, a 21-year-old student, and Rajan Naidu, 73, used “orange cornmeal” in the stunt, the group said.
Stonehenge was built on the flatlands of Salisbury Plain in stages beginning 5,000 years ago, with the unique stone circle erected in the late Neolithic period around 2500 BC.
Some of the stones, known as bluestones, are known to have come from southwest Wales, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) away, but the origins of others remain a mystery.
Just Stop Oil is one of several groups across Europe that have gained attention – and received criticism – for disrupting sporting events, spraying paint and food on famous works of art and disrupting traffic to draw attention to the global climate crisis.
The group, which was formed in 2022, said it acted in response to Labour’s recent election manifesto. The Labor Party said that if it wins the elections scheduled for July 4, it will not issue any more licenses for oil and gas exploration. Just Stop Oil supports the moratorium but said it is not enough.
Labour, which is leading in opinion polls and is widely expected by pundits and politicians to lead the next government, needs to go further and sign a treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030, the group said in a statement.
The group said in a statement, “Continuing to burn coal, oil and gas will lead to the death of millions.”
“Failure to commit to defending our communities will mean that ‘Stop Oil’ campaigners…will join the resistance this summer, if their governments do not take meaningful action.”
