Stonehenge spray-painted orange by protesters calling for climate action

Activist group Just Stop Oil took responsibility for the incident, which occurred a day before the summer solstice is expected to draw thousands to the ancient site.

By Kelsey Ables
June 20, 2024 at 2:38 a.m. EDT

Protesters sprayed part of Stonehenge with orange paint Wednesday, calling on the British government to take action on climate change a day before thousands are expected to flock to the 5,000-year-old site in southern England to celebrate the summer solstice.

A video shared Wednesday by Just Stop Oil, the environmental activist group responsible, shows two people running toward the monument and unleashing the orange paint. People nearby shout “No” and “Stop him,” as others try to pull the protesters away.

The group said in a statement that it is “demanding that our next government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.” It added that the paint was made of corn flour that will wash off with the rain. It identified the protesters involved as Niamh Lynch, 21, and Rajan Naidu, 73. Local police said they had arrested two people following the incident.

English Heritage, the charity that manages Stonehenge, said the site remains open. “Obviously, this is extremely upsetting and our curators are investigating the extent of the damage,” it said on social media.

Link to tweet

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