In an act of protest, two activists from the environmental group ‘Just Stop Oil’ sprayed orange paint on the monolithic Stonehenge monument, located in Wiltshire, southwest England. Images posted on social media by the group show protesters, dressed in white, spraying powder paint on some of the stones of the famous Neolithic structure, while visitors tried to stop them.
The incident, which occurred this Wednesday, has led to the arrest of Niamh Lynch, 21, and Rajan Naidu, 73, who now face charges of damaging the historic monument, declared Heritage of humanity by unesco. Wiltshire Police have said investigations are continuing to determine the extent of the damage.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has condemned the act as a “regrettable act of vandalism” during a statement in his election campaign. In response, Just Stop Oil has issued a statement defending its protest as an urgent call for the next British government to sign up to an international plan to eliminate the use of fossil fuels by 2030. The group has assured that the painting is temporary and it will disappear with the rain.
The English Heritage organisation, responsible for the protection of Stonehenge, is assessing the impact of the incident on the stones of the monument, which dates back to between 3100 and 1600 BC
){kind=link}