London – Two climate protesters were arrested Wednesday for spraying orange paint on the ancient monument of stonehenge in southern England, police reported.
Just Stop Oil’s most recent act was quickly condemned by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who called it a “regrettable act of vandalism.” Labor Party leader Keir Starmer, his main rival in next month’s election, called the group “pathetic” and called the damage “outrageous.”
The incident occurred on the eve of thousands of people gathering at the 4,500-year-old stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
English Heritage, which manages the site, said it was “extremely disturbing” and said curators were reviewing the damage. Just Stop Oil published on the social network X that the paint was made with cornstarch and that it was going to dissolve in the rain.
Wiltshire Police said the two activists were arrested on suspicion of damaging one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stonehenge was built on the Salisbury Plain in stages starting 5,000 years ago, and the single stone circle was erected at the end of the Neolithic, around 2,500 BC. Some of the bluish basalt stones are known to come from south-west Wales, almost 240 kilometers (150 miles) away, but the origin of others is a mystery.
Just Stop Oil is one of many groups across Europe that have gained attention — and received plenty of criticism — for disrupting sporting events, throwing paint and food at famous works of art, and blocking traffic to draw attention to global warming.
The group said it acted in response to Labour’s recent election manifesto. The political party has said that if it wins the election on July 4, it will no longer issue licenses for oil and gas exploration. Just Stop Oil supports the moratorium, but considers it insufficient.
In a statement, the group said the Labor Party, which leads in the polls and is predicted by both experts and politicians to lead the next government, needs to go further and sign a treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.
“Continuing to burn coal, oil and gas will result in the deaths of millions,” the group said in a statement.
