Watch: Stonehenge Monument Sprayed Orange in Climate Protest, Sunak Calls Activist Group 'Disgrace'

Members of an environmental group sprayed the Stonehenge, a prehistoric UNESCO world heritage site in the UK, with orange colour during a climate protest on Wednesday. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the group, Just Stop Oil, a “disgrace” while two people were arrested after the act.

Just Stop Oil activists desecrated the megalithic structure to demand that the next government in Britain should put an end to the use of fossil fuels by 2030. Footage posted on social media showed the activists, wearing “Just Stop Oil” branded T-shirts, spraying a cluster of the standing stones with the orange substance from a small canister.

The group said a 21-year-old student from Oxford University is one of the two persons arrested for “taking action at Stonehenge” and posted a video on X.

The student was identified as Niamh Lynch, who was accompanied by 73-year-old Rajan Naidu. The group said it used “orange cornflour” for the stunt and claimed the substance would “soon wash away with the rain”.

The video also shows several people trying to restrain the activists as they spray the stones, before they stop and sit on the ground.

English Heritage, the public body that manages the site, said its experts were probing “the extent of the damage” to the circle of stones some of which are believed to date back 5,000 years. Wiltshire Police said in a statement that it has arrested two people following the incident.

“Officers attended the scene and arrested two people on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument,” they said. “Our inquiries are ongoing and we are working closely with English Heritage.”

A spokesperson for English Heritage called the protest “extremely upsetting” but noted the site remained open to the public. “Our curators are investigating the extent of the damage,” she said.

The protest was staged a day before the Summer Solstice festival, when crowds gather at Stonehenge to celebrate the northern hemisphere’s summer solstice.

What did the politicians say?

This incident comes ahead of a general election on July 4 and drew condemnation from the leaders of the UK’s main political parties. Sunak called it “a disgraceful act of vandalism to one of the UK’s and the world’s oldest and most important monuments”. “Just Stop Oil should be ashamed of their activists,” he added.

Labour leader Keir Starmer, who polls predict will be the next PM, said it was “outrageous” and branded Just Stop Oil “pathetic”. “Those responsible must face the full force of the law,” he said, in a sentiment echoed by Ed Davey, leader of the centrist Liberal Democrats.

What is Just Stop Oil?

The climate activism group was formed in 2022 and wants an end to new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea off the UK’s east coast. It has staged numerous protests, primarily aimed at disrupting events, institutions or aspects of daily life, leading to thousands of its activists being arrested and scores jailed.

A spokesperson said although the Labour party, which is expected to win next month’s election, has vowed not to issue any new oil and gas drilling licences, “we all know this is not enough”. “We have to come together to defend humanity or we risk everything. That’s why Just Stop Oil is demanding that our next government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030,” the spokesperson added.

(With AFP inputs)