At least two environmentalists, members of the environmental defense organization Just Stop Oil have been arrested by the Wiltshire County Police in the United Kingdom after throwing orange paint on the megalithic monument of Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for almost four decades, to demand from the British Government a firm commitment to agree to internationally an “equitable plan to end the drilling and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.”
The two activists, identified as Niamh Lynch, 21, and Rajan Naidu, 73, face charges of damaging the historic monument, while investigations continue. The act of vandalism took place around noon (local time), when the two activists sprayed the iconic Neolithic monument, located near the English city of Salisbury, in the south of the United Kingdom, where they are scheduled to meet this Thursday thousands of people to celebrate the summer solstice.
The attack on Stonehenge occurred in front of a group of citizens who were visiting the megalithic monument and who, as shown in a video posted by the group itself on its website and on social networks, tried to stop the protest. The incident, on the other hand, takes place shortly after the Labor Party committed to stopping future licenses for the establishment of new oil and gas fields as part of its electoral campaign ahead of the general elections scheduled for next July 4 .
A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil has stated that the current British Government “had already committed to implementing measures to comply with the organization’s previous demands.” “However, we all know that this is not enough. Continuing to burn coal, oil and gas will kill millions of people. We have to unite to defend humanity or we will risk everything. That’s why Just Stop Oil demands that our next Government sign a legally binding treaty to progressively eliminate fossil fuels before 2030,” he claimed.
“If they do not commit to defending our communities, Just Stop Oil supporters, along with citizens of Austria, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland, will join the resistance this summer, if their own governments also fail to take meaningful action. In all over Europe you can find stone circles that show how we have always cooperated across great distances; we are building on that legacy,” he said in a statement published on the NGO’s website.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has criticized these actions as a “shameful act of vandalism.” “Just Stop Oil “It should be ashamed of its activists, and they and anyone associated with them, including a certain Labor Party donor, should condemn them,” he said.
For his part, the leader of the opposition, Labor’s Keir Starmer, has called the environmental group “pathetic” and has stressed that the damage caused to the Stonehenge monument is “outrageous.” “Those responsible must face the full weight of the law,” he stressed.
Despite the criticism received from both sides of British politics, Just Stop Oil has assured that “they will continue acting to generate the necessary political pressure.” The heritage protection organization English Heritage evaluates the impact of the painting on the stones, which are part of a World Heritage complex built between 3100 and 1600 BC. c.
