London: A man of Indian origin was among two persons arrested by UK police on Wednesday for spraying orange paint on the Stonehenge monument in south-west England.
The two activists of Just Stop Oil protest group “decorated Stonehenge in orange powder paint” to demand that Britain’s next government legally commit to phasing out fossil fuels by 2030.
A video posted by Stonehenge UK shows 73-year-old Rajan Naidu, an environmental activist and a younger man rushing to spray an orange substance on the megalithic standing stones of the renowned prehistoric UNESCO world heritage site as officials and volunteers scream and urge them to stop them.
Just stop oil protestors damage Stonehenge 😭
pic.twitter.com/HSQvfWIdNh— Stonehenge U.K (@ST0NEHENGE) June 19, 2024
Footage posted on social media shows activists wearing ‘Just Stop Oil’ T-shirts.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the latest act by Just Stop Oil as a “disgraceful act of vandalism.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer, Sunak’s main opponent in next month’s general elections, called the group “pathetic” and said the damage was “outrageous.”
The incident took place a day before thousands are expected to gather at the 4,500-year-old stone circle to celebrate the summer solstice — longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
English Heritage, which manages the historic site, said it was “extremely upsetting” and said curators were investigating the damage.
Just Stop Oil said on the social media platform X that the paint was made of cornstarch and would dissolve in the rain, reported AP.
Just Stop Oil is among many groups in Europe that have grabbed attention for disrupting sporting events, splashing paint and food on famous works of art and interrupting traffic to draw attention to global warming.
