Two Just Stop Oil activists, Niamh Lynch (21) and Rajan Naidu (73), were arrested after spraying orange powder paint on the Stonehenge monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a day before the summer solstice celebration.
Just Stop Oil, an environmental activism group, called for a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030, demanding an end to extracting and burning oil, gas, and coal.
The act was condemned as "disgraceful" and "pathetic" by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Labour leader Keir Starmer. Starmer demanded full legal consequences.
Activists spraying orange powder paint on the Stonehenge monument
English Heritage, responsible for managing Stonehenge, found it "extremely upsetting" and is investigating the potential damage to the living lichen on the stones, although the monument remains open.
Just Stop Oil claimed the action was a protest demanding the UK government commit to ending oil, gas, and coal extraction by 2030 to prevent further death and suffering caused by burning fossil fuels, citing the urgent need to protect humanity. The group believes the pigment would wash away in the rain.
Video footage showed protesters in Just Stop Oil shirts spraying paint on the stones, covering some of them, while members of the public tried to stop the protesters, with one visitor wrestling a spray can from a protester.
Wiltshire Police confirmed the arrests of the two individuals on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument, and investigations into the extent of the damage are ongoing.
Just Stop Oil mentioned the Labour party's commitment to stopping new oil and gas licenses in their news release.
Visitors to Stonehenge, Labour donor Dale Vince, and senior druid King Arthur Pendragon expressed disappointment and anger over the vandalism, stating it alienates sympathy for the cause and disrupts sacred celebrations at the iconic archaeological site.
Just Stop Oil is known for disruptive environmental protests, including road closures and vandalism of art, and has previously made headlines for attacking the glass protecting the Magna Carta at the British Museum.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: NBC News, Sky News, Time, CBS News, The Guardian, Bloomberg, The Washington Times, USA Today, CNN, ABC News, HuffPost, Forbes, The Independent, Business Insider, BBC.