Two climate protesters sprayed orange paint onto the ancient Stonehenge monument on Wednesday, June 19. Onlookers tried to intervene and the duo was eventually arrested for their actions.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak labeled it “a disgraceful act of vandalism,” and English Heritage — the organization that manages the historical site — described the incident as “extremely upsetting.”
The vandalism occurred just one day before thousands were expected to gather at the 4,500-year-old stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice, the year’s longest day.
Just Stop Oil, the group claiming responsibility, stated that the act was part of its campaign urging the incoming United Kingdom government to commit to ending “the extraction of oil, gas and coal by 2030,” and to collaborate with other European countries to achieve this goal.
The Labour Party has announced that, should it win the elections on July 4, it will not issue any new licenses for oil and gas expl oration. While Just Stop Oil agrees with the moratorium, the group believes that the promise does not go far enough.
The activist group contends that the vandalism of the monument is only superficial, as the paint is made from cornstarch and can allegedly be easily washed off the stones.
“Our action in no way damaged the monument,” Rajan Naidu, one of the activists reportedly involved in the incident, said. “We brought attention to this because we are committed to preserving something far more significant: our planet’s biosphere.”
Just Stop Oil is among several climate activist groups in Europe known for their notorious acts. Previous incidents include throwing paint and food at renowned artworks, disrupting sporting events and blocking traffic to draw attention to climate change.
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