Two Just Stop Oil protesters, 21-year-old Oxford student Niamh Lynch and 73-year-old Birmingham resident Rajan Naidu, were arrested for spraying orange powder paint on Stonehenge. This act, filmed and shared by the group on X, aimed to pressure the UK government to commit to a fossil fuel phase-out by 2030, aligning with the upcoming general election.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the protest "disgraceful," and Labour leader Keir Starmer labeled it "pathetic." Naidu, in his X statement, emphasized the need for a "Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty" and clarified the paint was orange cornflour, which would wash away with rain but highlighted the ongoing climate crisis.
English Heritage is investigating potential damage to Stonehenge. Archaeologist Michael Pitts expressed concern over harm to the prehistoric markings. The protest occurred a day before the summer solstice, a significant event at Stonehenge, and is part of Just Stop Oil's broader climate advocacy efforts.
Selena Mattei