Two Just Stop Oil protesters arrested after spraying orange at Stonehenge

Two Just Stop Oil protesters were arrested after spraying the historic Stonehenge monument with orange paint on Wednesday.

They were arrested on suspicion of damaging some stones at the ancient site near Salisbury, Wiltshire Police said.

“Our investigations are ongoing and we are working closely with English Heritage,” the force added.

Video footage posted on social media showed two people in white shirts running toward the monoliths with spray paint cans around 11 a.m.

Members of the public were seen trying to stop the protesters by dragging them away.

Several stones were covered in the substance before one protester stopped and sat cross-legged on the grass while another was dragged by a woman.

Protesters were seen being led away from the site by several police officers in a separate video posted by Just Stop Oil, which said the two men were taken into custody.

Both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer condemned the protest group's action.

The Prime Minister said: “This is a disgraceful act of vandalism to one of the oldest and most important monuments in the UK and the world.

“Just Stop Oil should be ashamed of its activists, and they and all those associated with them, including a certain Labour Party donor, should immediately condemn this shameful act.”

Labor leader Sir Keir said: “The damage to Stonehenge is scandalous.

“Just Stop Oil is pathetic.

“Those responsible must face the full force of the law.”

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey added: “The damage done to Stonehenge is an utter disgrace and the full force of the law must be brought to bear on those responsible.”

An English Heritage spokeswoman said: “Orange powder paint has been thrown on a number of stones at Stonehenge.

“Obviously this is extremely upsetting and our conservationists are investigating the extent of the damage. Stonehenge remains open to the public.

On Thursday, thousands of people are expected at the site to celebrate the summer solstice.

A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil said the group was demanding the next government sign a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.

“If our governments fail to take meaningful action, Just Stop Oil supporters, along with citizens in Austria, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland, will join the resistance this summer if we do not commit to defending our communities,” they said.

“Stone circles can be found in all parts of Europe, showing that we have always cooperated over vast distances. We build on this heritage. »

Protester Niamh Lynch, 21, a student at Oxford, said: “Stonehenge at the solstice is a celebration of the natural world – but look at the state it is in.

“We all have the right to live without suffering, but the continued burning of oil, coal and gas is causing death and suffering on an unprecedented scale. »

The second protester, Rajan Naidu, 73, from Birmingham, said: “The orange cornmeal we used to create an eye-catching spectacle will soon be washed away by the rain, but the urgent need for effective government action to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of the climate and ecological crisis will not be.

Every year, thousands of people make the pilgrimage to Stonehenge, an ancient stone circle, to watch the sunrise on the summer solstice – and camp overnight at the World Heritage site.

The Heel Stone found outside the main circle of Stonehenge aligns with the rising sun on a summer solstice.

Stonehenge was built in stages on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, around 5,000 years ago, with the stone circle erected in the late Neolithic period, around 2,500 BC.

Some of these stones, called bluestones, are known to come from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, nearly 150 miles away, but the origins of others remain a mystery.

Earlier this month, two women were arrested and released on bail after a Just stop the oil protest outside the Duke of Westminster's wedding.

Billionaire aristocrat Hugh Grosvenor, 33, and his bride Olivia Henson, 31, were outside Chester Cathedral with members of their wedding party, including the Prince of Wales, following the ceremony on June 7 when orange powder was released from a fire extinguisher by a member of the crowd.

Meanwhile, five protesters from Just Stop Oil were sentenced after invading the stage of Les Misérables in the West End.

Protesters took the stage during the Oct. 4 musical, prompting ushers to remove the actors from the stage to boos from the audience.

Just Stop Oil is a coalition of groups calling on the government to work with other nations to establish a legally binding treaty to stop the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.

Mr Sunak's comments about a Labour donor appear to be directed at Dale Vince, who was a leading backer of the protest movement until last year.