Two Climate Activists Were Arrested For Vandalizing Stonehenge With Orange Paint Just One Day Before The Summer Solstice
On June 19, just one day before the summer solstice, two climate activists sprayed orange paint on the iconic ancient monument Stonehenge, located in southern England.
The incident occurred prior to a planned event at the prehistoric site. Thousands of people were expected to gather around the 4,500-year-old stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year.
English Heritage, the charity that manages Stonehenge, stated that the act of vandalism was “extremely upsetting.” Last year, about 8,000 people were at Stonehenge at sunrise to celebrate the event.
The activists were associated with Just Stop Oil, a British environmental group focused on addressing the issue of human-caused climate change. The organization uses tactics such as civil resistance, traffic obstruction, and vandalism to convince the British government to end new fossil fuel production and licensing.
The three stones closest to the public path were covered with orange paint. According to Just Stop Oil’s website, the pigment used to spray the rocks was made of “orange cornflour” that would wash away in the rain. Still, experts need to investigate the stones to see if they have suffered any permanent damage.
“They are sensitive, and they are completely covered in prehistoric markings which remain to be fully studied, and any surface damage to the stones is hugely concerning,” said an archaeologist named Mike Pitts.
Starting about 5,000 years ago, the stone circle was built in stages on the flat lands of Salisbury Plain. Some of the stones are known to have come from southwest Wales, nearly 150 miles away.
However, the origins of the others have remained unclear. The monument’s stones align with the rising sun in the northern hemisphere on the date of the summer solstice.
The culprits were arrested by Wiltshire Police for causing damage to one of the most famous ancient monuments in the world. They were identified as 21-year-old Niamh Lynch from Oxford and 73-year-old Rajan Naidu from Birmingham.
PTZ Pictures – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
The motive behind their actions was to demand that the Labour Party in the U.K. end the extraction and burning of fossil fuels by 2030.
“Stonehenge at solstice is all about celebrating the natural world — but look at the state it’s in!” Lynch said in a press release on Just Stop Oil’s website.
“We all have a right to live a life free from suffering, but the continued burning of oil, coal, and gas is leading to death and suffering on an unparalleled scale. It’s time for us to think about what our civilization will leave behind—what is our legacy?”
Just Stop Oil has received criticism in the past for its controversial methods of drawing attention to global warming. The group has disrupted sports events and splashed paint and food on artwork.
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