Parts of the prehistoric Stonehenge stones were left covered with orange power paint as part of a protest launched by climate activists.
The events led to the arrest of two individuals on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument, which is the world’s most famous stone circle and is visited by more than a million people per year.
- Parts of Stonehenge were spray-painted orange by climate activists from Just Stop Oil
- Two individuals, Rajan Naidu and Niamh Lynch, were arrested on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument
- Just Stop Oil demanded the UK government to end fossil fuel extraction and burning by 2030
- British PM Rishi Sunak called the act a disgraceful vandalism of one of the world's oldest monuments
Video footage shared online captured two protesters, belonging to the environmental group called Just Stop Oil, running toward Britain’s Stonehenge around midday on Wednesday, June 19, the day before the summer solstice is celebrated at Stonehenge.
Britain’s Stonehenge was sprayed with paint by environmental protesters in front of sightseers who were visiting the world-famous prehistoric megalithic structure on Wednesday
Image credits: Robert Anderson/Unsplash
Image credits: Just Stop Oil
While sightseers were marveling at the structures on Wednesday, the two protesters covered parts of Stonehenge’s megaliths with orange powder paint.
Some of the visitors tried to intervene and shouted “no” with the hope of stopping the protesters from harming one of the most visited tourist spots in the UK.
Rajan Naidu, 73, and Niamh Lynch, 21, were named as the two campaigners who spray-painted the monument.
Two campaigners, part of the environmental group called Just Stop Oil, were captured on video running toward the structures and spraying paint over them
Image credits: Just Stop Oil
Image credits: Just Stop Oil
“We responded to a report that orange paint had been sprayed on some of the stones by two suspects,” said a spokesperson for Wiltshire Police.
“Our enquiries are ongoing and we are working closely with English Heritage,” the spokesperson added.
In a press release put out by Just Stop Oil, the environmental group said they are demanding the incoming UK government end the extraction and burning of oil, gas, and coal by 2030.
The group is demanding the incoming UK government work with leaders from other countries to phase out the use of fossil fuels
🚨 BREAKING: Just Stop Oil Spray Stonehenge Orange
🔥 2 people took action the day before Summer Solstice, demanding the incoming government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.
🧯 Help us take megalithic action — https://t.co/R20S8YQD1j pic.twitter.com/ufzO8ZiDWu
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) June 19, 2024
Video credits: Just Stop Oil
“The UK’s government in waiting has committed to enacting Just Stop Oil’s original demand of ‘no new oil and gas’. However, we all know this is not enough,” a Just Stop Oil spokesperson was quoted saying. “Continuing to burn coal, oil and gas will result in the death of millions. We have to come together to defend humanity or we risk everything. That’s why Just Stop Oil is demanding that our next government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.”
The group—known for its disruptive environmental protests such as shutting down major roads and causing a ruckus at culturing or sporting events—said that they would rally up supporters along with citizens from countries like Austria, Canada, and Norway to join their resistance this summer if their demand to phase out fossil fuels is not met.
“Continuing to burn coal, oil and gas will result in the death of millions. We have to come together to defend humanity or we risk everything,” said a spokesperson for the environmental group
Image credits: Just Stop Oil
Image credits: Just Stop Oil
“Failure to commit to defending our communities will mean Just Stop Oil supporters, along with citizens from Austria, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland will join in resistance this summer, if their own Governments do not take meaningful action,” the spokesperson continued. “Stone circles can be found in every part of Europe showing how we’ve always cooperated across vast distances – we’re building on that legacy.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the act that took place the day before visitors were expected to arrive at the UNESCO World Heritage Site to celebrate Summer Solstice.
Rishi Sunak called it a “disgraceful act of vandalism to one of the UK’s and the world’s oldest and most important monuments”
🚔 ARRESTED AT STONEHENGE
⛓️ Rajan and Niamh have been taken into custody after covering #Stonehenge in orange powder paint.
🧡 The paint is made of cornstarch, which will wash away in the rain, but the urgent need for effective government action to mitigate the catastrophic… pic.twitter.com/KKXuBrhWCn
— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) June 19, 2024
Video credits: Just Stop Oil
It was a “disgraceful act of vandalism to one of the UK’s and the world’s oldest and most important monuments,” he said.
“Just Stop Oil should be ashamed of their activists, and they and anyone associated with them, including a certain Labour Party donor, should issue a condemnation of this shameful act immediately,” he added.
Several social media users condemned the act and questioned how vandalism can stop climate change
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Why Stonehenge? Why not BP’s corporate offices? THAT would be a statement, not defacing an ancient monument that has zero connections with Big Oil.
For a second I thought you meant Bored Panda haha
Load More Replies...I don't understand how they can deface public monuments and claim they're doing it for the environment? How much water is now going to have to be used to clean a 5000 year old monument? They did it at the Trevi fountain in Rome and contaminated 80,000 gallons of water. It makes no sense to me and they're completely contradicting themselves.
Some people are wondering if these are actors defacing monuments and artworks to make people turn against environmentalists. I don't believe it, as people are really this stupid to do stunts, but there are some days it does make sense.
Load More Replies...This does not work for me sorry. I live in Andover 9 miles from the site. As a kid I climbed the stones before they blocked it off and went to a number of solstices with my dad. I understand they need to make news headlines, but the target has to be something else entirely, not ancient monuments.
They're damaging their cause not helping it!! I believe they are right but I do not agree with these tactics at all!!!!
Load More Replies...Fucktards, they *must* be hired by oil to smear climate work? People will just hate the cause with this! And less likely to support them? 😑🤷♂️
No. They are the extremists of the environmentalists. They are getting bolder and moredangerous because they think any publicity is good.
Load More Replies...Considering spray paint uses a propellent, the act itself was an environmental affront.
Not only that, but all of what goes into the manufacturing process of the spray paint which certainly includes using oil.
Load More Replies...Somewhere between rage and despair. I used to live about an hour away from Stonehenge; I’ve been there many times, since before the fences went up and visitors were kept at a distance because some a$$holes think vandalism is ok. For me, it’s a deeply spiritual place. The origins of the henge go back 9,000 years, in some respects it is older than the great pyramids. Reminds me of when activists attacked facilities holding animals for testing in the mid-80’s and early 90’s. I sympathized with their cause, no animal should ever be harmed so humans can safely use cosmetics. But they didn’t stop to consider the short, brutal, existence of a lab born creature abandoned to a “free” life. In liberating those animals, most were condemned to death because they lacked the skills to survive in the wild. Wilful destruction of beauty, heritage, is no way to highlight other wilful destruction of beauty and heritage. Rise up! Rage against big corporations! Wherever you can, shift your money into renewable energy, because money is the only language they speak. Put your energy into destruction? You’re no better than the corporations, governments, you claim to fight against.
And of course the American mink let loose with good intentions thats not worked out great for the UK.
Load More Replies...So a few years ago Greenpeace caused permanent damage to the Nazca lines with a really d*mb publicity stunt, now these clowns target Stonehenge. What does either of these acts have to do with protecting the environment? The only thing they do is give environmentalists a bad name
Are… are they SERIOUSLY censoring ‘dumb’?! Edit: no they aren’t.
Load More Replies...That's just ridiculous! Why vandalize Stonehenge? And on top we cant exit fossil fuel in a rush because there is not enough infrastructure and green energy to provide the e cars. And who can f*****g afford an electric car?
This and similar actions are so ridiculous, that more and more i start to think they are a set up to give environmental activism a bad name.
Why didn't they just set themselves on fire? That really gets attention and at the same time rids the world of two loons. Win win!
Oh my gosh, these people are SERIOUS. We really need to listen to them because they clearly mean business. (Massive sarcasm). The irony I'm finding in these protests is that the art museum protests were partly meant to draw attention to loss of food if the climate keeps changing, yet there they were wasting food. With this one, they're releasing chemicals into the environment, which, if I remember, adds to climate issues?
No, just no. This isn't making a stand for the environment. This is just being a criminal and defacing a prehistoric monument. I respect the right to protest, but defacing one of the most visited megalithic monuments in the world isn't how you take a stand. They're damaging their cause by engaging in vandalism; people are now going to associate protesters speaking against big oil companies with ecoterrorism. Do they understand how much water it's going to take to remove the orange powder!? (No, because they are idiots).
Because it's a well known fact that Stonehenge burns fossil fuels. (/jk obviously)
Hell’s bells, even I took one look at the photo and thought ‘aw, no, it’s those faux climate change activists, isn’t it’. You don’t mess with people’s cultural monuments, you just don’t; it’s messing with part of the identity of their culture at some point.
"The rain will wash it away", they claimed of the equestrian monument of Vittorio Emanuele in Milan's Piazza del Duomo. But it turned out that a tender had to be called for a specialist firm, because the orange paint could not be removed easily. The repair required public money and the monument was left damaged for about two months. https://www.milanotoday.it/cronaca/monumento-duomo-vernice-pulizia.html
This made me physically angry. How? How does this make any sense to stope climate change? A 5000 year old Spiritual site, defaced in the name of stopping oil?? I agree with the one person, “enjoy jail”.
The protestors were from an organization called Just Stop Oil. Both of them were wearing clothing made from oil.
My two cents. Sure, we need to do better by our planet. However, not one of the Stop Oil protesters offers up a plausible/workable solution. So we are just supposed to stop using gas and oil? And replace it with what? Sure there is solar, but it does cost money and energy to manufacture the solar panels. Wind power? Sure, but again it takes money and energy to build those huge windmills. And who is going to purchase EV cars for everyone that doesn't have one? They are expensive and from what I hear, those batteries really can't be recycled when they die. So... protesters, give us a workable solution to the problem. If you are just going to b*tch about it and ruin art and monuments, you are no better than the problem you want to solve.
I'd like to know if they walked till there or if they used a transportation fueled with oil.
Load More Replies...This is amazing!! Climate change is over thanks to the great actions of these activists. I don't really know what they are protesting, I don't undersant what they are trying to acomplish, but great job.... I really hate this activism, where's their message???
Ugh. I usually defend JSO even while having reservations about their logic and effectiveness but this is just stupid - by far the dumbest stunt they've pulled. Targeting well-protected art was one thing - dubious in it's messaging but there was a logic to it. This is just idiotic. The stones have survived a lot so I don't expect this will matter in the long run, but there's nothing good here.
They're just attracting hate now, defacing art and monuments attracts the WRONG kind of attention! Just Stop Oil are no better than terrorists
As someone stated, if you want to pull a stunt like this, do it to an appropriate target. Stonehenge is NOT an appropriate target. Now, a UNESCO World Heritage site, something that is supposed to be a treasure to and for all of humanity, is now damaged. What next? The pyramids at Giza? The Taj Mahal? The Kaaba? Seriously, why do this? It doesn't promote your cause, and instead, it makes almost everyone despise you!
Just stop Oil is a shill for corporate oil and gas. I'm convinced that they use these patsy's to gin up ire against real environmental progress.
I hope they gonna have plenty of time to think of what they done in prison.
I don't understand how this group has only two way of protesting: vandalising artwork and blocking major roads (with no even tollerance for ambulances). Why, WHY, do you want the common people to hate you so much? What 's the point? Who is convincing them that they are martirs and that this is a smart way of protesting. Why none of them has ever gone to some oil company or some political buildings or...I don't know, why don't they go to the Monsanto headquarter?
This is blackmail, the formal definition of which is "demanding actions or monies with menaces." Doesn't matter WHY they're demanding whatever, it's still blackmail. I also find this disgusting, ruining even one tourist's vacation over your personal opinion is uncalled for.
the british goverment, or whoever is responsible for the monument, should sue this group for every penny they have. Sue them until they have no more money to do sh*t like this.
Acts of vandalism, especially on sites that have nothing to do with their cause, stops all support from me. These people think they are saviours of the world, sadly they are part of the problem, not the solution.
Give them twenty years in prison to think about it, the slimeballs. Unforgivable.
As fossil fuels are in limited supply and there seems to be an inexhaustible supply of these idiots, perhaps we should be burning people to power our society instead.
How about make these braying jackasses scrub the stones clean while wearing shirts that read Just Stop Stupidity.
I don't get any of these "protestors" - tossing paint onto the Mona Lisa, spraying orange cornstarch onto Stonehenge, dumping red fire powder on the US constitution, et al. How is any of this effective at getting your point across? Yeah, it makes people talk, but negatively, as in, "What stupid, terrible people these activists are!" Protesting used to be about holding marches, boycotts, sit ins, and participating in other socially disruptive activities. Who decided "Hey, let's f**k up national and international treasures to get our point across" and thought it was a good idea/would be successful?
I mean, on the one hand, this absolutely doesn't matter at all. The stones have been there for five thousand years, they've survived worse than having paint lobbed on them. But on the other hand, Just Stop Oil are morons. All they ever do is f**k up things people enjoy and then wonder why nobody supports them. No wonder some people believe they must be agents provocateurs in the pay of the oil companies; their grasp of marketing is utterly remedial.
It does matter though. This was an act of vandalism and that orange powder could have truly damaged the stones- spray paints are notoriously difficult to remove and it takes people’s time and money to clean. It also may make some people associate environmentalism with vandalism now.
Load More Replies...I think it's time for a mob to savagely beat a few of the protesters almost to death. Right now, their biggest penalty is being an itinerant celebrity.
Modern Stonehenge was rebuilt in the 1920s with multiple touch ups over the decades. It's nothing that can't be fixed without issue. People complain about the protests, but we've reached a point where disruption seems to be required because we are not doing enough. But seriously folks, they're rocks, we can clean them just fine. And what they did to the Charles portrait was a significant improvement, so it's not all bad : )
Wow, just wow. I don’t even know to start with how wrong your comment is. “They’re just rocks.” No, they’re a prehistoric megalithic structure that is still researched and visited by people all over the world. Spray paints, even if they are powder based are notoriously difficult to remove.
Load More Replies...Why Stonehenge? Why not BP’s corporate offices? THAT would be a statement, not defacing an ancient monument that has zero connections with Big Oil.
For a second I thought you meant Bored Panda haha
Load More Replies...I don't understand how they can deface public monuments and claim they're doing it for the environment? How much water is now going to have to be used to clean a 5000 year old monument? They did it at the Trevi fountain in Rome and contaminated 80,000 gallons of water. It makes no sense to me and they're completely contradicting themselves.
Some people are wondering if these are actors defacing monuments and artworks to make people turn against environmentalists. I don't believe it, as people are really this stupid to do stunts, but there are some days it does make sense.
Load More Replies...This does not work for me sorry. I live in Andover 9 miles from the site. As a kid I climbed the stones before they blocked it off and went to a number of solstices with my dad. I understand they need to make news headlines, but the target has to be something else entirely, not ancient monuments.
They're damaging their cause not helping it!! I believe they are right but I do not agree with these tactics at all!!!!
Load More Replies...Fucktards, they *must* be hired by oil to smear climate work? People will just hate the cause with this! And less likely to support them? 😑🤷♂️
No. They are the extremists of the environmentalists. They are getting bolder and moredangerous because they think any publicity is good.
Load More Replies...Considering spray paint uses a propellent, the act itself was an environmental affront.
Not only that, but all of what goes into the manufacturing process of the spray paint which certainly includes using oil.
Load More Replies...Somewhere between rage and despair. I used to live about an hour away from Stonehenge; I’ve been there many times, since before the fences went up and visitors were kept at a distance because some a$$holes think vandalism is ok. For me, it’s a deeply spiritual place. The origins of the henge go back 9,000 years, in some respects it is older than the great pyramids. Reminds me of when activists attacked facilities holding animals for testing in the mid-80’s and early 90’s. I sympathized with their cause, no animal should ever be harmed so humans can safely use cosmetics. But they didn’t stop to consider the short, brutal, existence of a lab born creature abandoned to a “free” life. In liberating those animals, most were condemned to death because they lacked the skills to survive in the wild. Wilful destruction of beauty, heritage, is no way to highlight other wilful destruction of beauty and heritage. Rise up! Rage against big corporations! Wherever you can, shift your money into renewable energy, because money is the only language they speak. Put your energy into destruction? You’re no better than the corporations, governments, you claim to fight against.
And of course the American mink let loose with good intentions thats not worked out great for the UK.
Load More Replies...So a few years ago Greenpeace caused permanent damage to the Nazca lines with a really d*mb publicity stunt, now these clowns target Stonehenge. What does either of these acts have to do with protecting the environment? The only thing they do is give environmentalists a bad name
Are… are they SERIOUSLY censoring ‘dumb’?! Edit: no they aren’t.
Load More Replies...That's just ridiculous! Why vandalize Stonehenge? And on top we cant exit fossil fuel in a rush because there is not enough infrastructure and green energy to provide the e cars. And who can f*****g afford an electric car?
This and similar actions are so ridiculous, that more and more i start to think they are a set up to give environmental activism a bad name.
Why didn't they just set themselves on fire? That really gets attention and at the same time rids the world of two loons. Win win!
Oh my gosh, these people are SERIOUS. We really need to listen to them because they clearly mean business. (Massive sarcasm). The irony I'm finding in these protests is that the art museum protests were partly meant to draw attention to loss of food if the climate keeps changing, yet there they were wasting food. With this one, they're releasing chemicals into the environment, which, if I remember, adds to climate issues?
No, just no. This isn't making a stand for the environment. This is just being a criminal and defacing a prehistoric monument. I respect the right to protest, but defacing one of the most visited megalithic monuments in the world isn't how you take a stand. They're damaging their cause by engaging in vandalism; people are now going to associate protesters speaking against big oil companies with ecoterrorism. Do they understand how much water it's going to take to remove the orange powder!? (No, because they are idiots).
Because it's a well known fact that Stonehenge burns fossil fuels. (/jk obviously)
Hell’s bells, even I took one look at the photo and thought ‘aw, no, it’s those faux climate change activists, isn’t it’. You don’t mess with people’s cultural monuments, you just don’t; it’s messing with part of the identity of their culture at some point.
"The rain will wash it away", they claimed of the equestrian monument of Vittorio Emanuele in Milan's Piazza del Duomo. But it turned out that a tender had to be called for a specialist firm, because the orange paint could not be removed easily. The repair required public money and the monument was left damaged for about two months. https://www.milanotoday.it/cronaca/monumento-duomo-vernice-pulizia.html
This made me physically angry. How? How does this make any sense to stope climate change? A 5000 year old Spiritual site, defaced in the name of stopping oil?? I agree with the one person, “enjoy jail”.
The protestors were from an organization called Just Stop Oil. Both of them were wearing clothing made from oil.
My two cents. Sure, we need to do better by our planet. However, not one of the Stop Oil protesters offers up a plausible/workable solution. So we are just supposed to stop using gas and oil? And replace it with what? Sure there is solar, but it does cost money and energy to manufacture the solar panels. Wind power? Sure, but again it takes money and energy to build those huge windmills. And who is going to purchase EV cars for everyone that doesn't have one? They are expensive and from what I hear, those batteries really can't be recycled when they die. So... protesters, give us a workable solution to the problem. If you are just going to b*tch about it and ruin art and monuments, you are no better than the problem you want to solve.
I'd like to know if they walked till there or if they used a transportation fueled with oil.
Load More Replies...This is amazing!! Climate change is over thanks to the great actions of these activists. I don't really know what they are protesting, I don't undersant what they are trying to acomplish, but great job.... I really hate this activism, where's their message???
Ugh. I usually defend JSO even while having reservations about their logic and effectiveness but this is just stupid - by far the dumbest stunt they've pulled. Targeting well-protected art was one thing - dubious in it's messaging but there was a logic to it. This is just idiotic. The stones have survived a lot so I don't expect this will matter in the long run, but there's nothing good here.
They're just attracting hate now, defacing art and monuments attracts the WRONG kind of attention! Just Stop Oil are no better than terrorists
As someone stated, if you want to pull a stunt like this, do it to an appropriate target. Stonehenge is NOT an appropriate target. Now, a UNESCO World Heritage site, something that is supposed to be a treasure to and for all of humanity, is now damaged. What next? The pyramids at Giza? The Taj Mahal? The Kaaba? Seriously, why do this? It doesn't promote your cause, and instead, it makes almost everyone despise you!
Just stop Oil is a shill for corporate oil and gas. I'm convinced that they use these patsy's to gin up ire against real environmental progress.
I hope they gonna have plenty of time to think of what they done in prison.
I don't understand how this group has only two way of protesting: vandalising artwork and blocking major roads (with no even tollerance for ambulances). Why, WHY, do you want the common people to hate you so much? What 's the point? Who is convincing them that they are martirs and that this is a smart way of protesting. Why none of them has ever gone to some oil company or some political buildings or...I don't know, why don't they go to the Monsanto headquarter?
This is blackmail, the formal definition of which is "demanding actions or monies with menaces." Doesn't matter WHY they're demanding whatever, it's still blackmail. I also find this disgusting, ruining even one tourist's vacation over your personal opinion is uncalled for.
the british goverment, or whoever is responsible for the monument, should sue this group for every penny they have. Sue them until they have no more money to do sh*t like this.
Acts of vandalism, especially on sites that have nothing to do with their cause, stops all support from me. These people think they are saviours of the world, sadly they are part of the problem, not the solution.
Give them twenty years in prison to think about it, the slimeballs. Unforgivable.
As fossil fuels are in limited supply and there seems to be an inexhaustible supply of these idiots, perhaps we should be burning people to power our society instead.
How about make these braying jackasses scrub the stones clean while wearing shirts that read Just Stop Stupidity.
I don't get any of these "protestors" - tossing paint onto the Mona Lisa, spraying orange cornstarch onto Stonehenge, dumping red fire powder on the US constitution, et al. How is any of this effective at getting your point across? Yeah, it makes people talk, but negatively, as in, "What stupid, terrible people these activists are!" Protesting used to be about holding marches, boycotts, sit ins, and participating in other socially disruptive activities. Who decided "Hey, let's f**k up national and international treasures to get our point across" and thought it was a good idea/would be successful?
I mean, on the one hand, this absolutely doesn't matter at all. The stones have been there for five thousand years, they've survived worse than having paint lobbed on them. But on the other hand, Just Stop Oil are morons. All they ever do is f**k up things people enjoy and then wonder why nobody supports them. No wonder some people believe they must be agents provocateurs in the pay of the oil companies; their grasp of marketing is utterly remedial.
It does matter though. This was an act of vandalism and that orange powder could have truly damaged the stones- spray paints are notoriously difficult to remove and it takes people’s time and money to clean. It also may make some people associate environmentalism with vandalism now.
Load More Replies...I think it's time for a mob to savagely beat a few of the protesters almost to death. Right now, their biggest penalty is being an itinerant celebrity.
Modern Stonehenge was rebuilt in the 1920s with multiple touch ups over the decades. It's nothing that can't be fixed without issue. People complain about the protests, but we've reached a point where disruption seems to be required because we are not doing enough. But seriously folks, they're rocks, we can clean them just fine. And what they did to the Charles portrait was a significant improvement, so it's not all bad : )
Wow, just wow. I don’t even know to start with how wrong your comment is. “They’re just rocks.” No, they’re a prehistoric megalithic structure that is still researched and visited by people all over the world. Spray paints, even if they are powder based are notoriously difficult to remove.
Load More Replies...
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