In an act of defiance against the ongoing climate crisis, two activists associated with the Just Stop Oil group were arrested after painting Stonehenge with orange paint. The protesters, Niamh Lynch from Oxford University and Rajan Naidu from Birmingham, used a mixture of orange cornflour to make their statement on the prehistoric landmark in Wiltshire.
The group is part of a larger network of civil disobedience groups known for their disruptive tactics in raising awareness about the urgent need for action on climate change. Just Stop Oil is calling on the incoming UK government to commit to ending the extraction and burning of oil, gas, and coal by 2030. Lynch emphasized the urgency of this demand in a statement following her arrest.
English Heritage, which manages Stonehenge, condemned the vandalism and expressed dismay over the damage caused to the ancient monument. Despite this, they assured visitors that the site remains open for them to enjoy its historical significance. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak labeled the act as a “disgraceful act of vandalism” against one of the oldest and most important monuments in the UK and around the world.
