Widespread condemnation after Stonehenge covered in paint by Just Stop Oil
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Part of Stonehenge has been covered in orange powder paint by protesters.
Two Just Stop Oil campaigners sprayed the powder paint on the historic site near Salisbury, Wiltshire, at about 12:00 BST on Wednesday.
🚨 BREAKING: Just Stop Oil Spray Stonehenge Orange
🔥 2 people took action the day before Summer Solstice, demanding the incoming government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.
The move comes the day before celebrations beginfor the Summer Solstice at the 5,000-year-old landmark.
Wiltshire Police confirmed two people had been arrested on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument.
Just Stop Oil said the orange powder paint was cornflour and it would “wash away with rain”.
The group named the two protesters as Niamh Lynch, a 21-year-old student from Oxford, and Rajan Naidu, a 73-year-old from Birmingham, in a statement.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the incident as a “disgraceful act of vandalism”.
Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer said the damage was “outrageous” and described Just Stop Oil as “pathetic”.
Members of the public were heard shouting “no” and seen running to intervene as the campaigners ran up to the stone circle at the Unesco world heritage site.
A spokeswoman for English Heritage described the spraying of the monument as “extremely upsetting” and confirmed the site remained open to the public.
She said the incident would not affect the annual summer solstice, with celebrations still planned to take place overnight on Thursday.
Just Stop Oil said the motivation behind the incident was to demand the next UK government end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.
A spokesperson for the group said: “Continuing to burn coal, oil and gas will result in the death of millions.
“We have to come together to defend humanity or we risk everything.”
