Two climate activists have been arrested in Britain for spraying orange powder on the stones of Stonehenge in what they said was a move to draw attention to the impact of fossil fuels on the climate. The prehistoric site was attacked on Wednesday as it was set to draw attention to the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
The body that manages the prehistoric site of Stonehenge in Britain said Thursday it has cleared away bright orange powder in preparation for a big day at the site.
Nick Merriman, chief executive of English Heritage, the charity that manages Stonehenge, said the stones appeared to be free of visible damage. But he said in a statement, “This by no means means that no harm has occurred, from the necessary cleaning of the stones to the distress that Stonehenge has caused to those for whom it has spiritual significance.”
English Heritage said it quickly removed the powder because of concerns it would damage rare lichens growing on the ancient stones, or that contact with water would cause the coloured powder to turn into streaks, potentially causing permanent damage.
Police in Wiltshire, England, say they have arrested two people who used fire extinguishers to spray orange powder on Stonehenge on Wednesday.
exist A statementJust Stop Oil, a UK group that wants to block new oil and gas licences, said it had “decorated” Stonehenge with powder paint and was asking the next UK government to work with other governments to “stop the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030”.
Ben Larsen, a Stop the Oil protester and supporter of the group, said the location was chosen to draw as much attention as possible. “Look at what our ancestors left us 5,000 years ago: this beautiful monument,” he said in a telephone interview. “What are we going to leave for our children?”
Summer Solstice, The day, which takes place on Thursday, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, with daylight hours of around 17 hours across much of the UK. It is also an important date in the religious calendar of the spiritual movement Druidry.
Every year, thousands of people flock to Stonehenge to watch the brief transition from night to day. This is one of the few days when the ropes that traditionally keep people away from the nearly 5,000-year-old stones are removed.
Adrian Rook, a druid, said the vandalism had disrupted what was otherwise a joyous celebration this year. “Some people were very upset about it,” Mr. Rook, 66, said in a telephone interview. “It’s a bit like if someone spray-painted St. Paul’s Cathedral. It means a lot to a lot of people.”
(Mr. Rooke added that while he did not understand the method of the protest, he understood its spirit.)
Senior British politicians were quick to condemn the climate protesters. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the group “shame” Keir Starmer, the Labour leader and Sunak’s opponent in next month’s election, called the “stop oil” plan “pathetic”.
The two protesters arrested on Wednesday, a woman in her 20s and a man in his 70s, face charges of criminal damage, preventing another person from engaging in a lawful activity and damaging a monument, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
Protesters and activists regularly use the Stonehenge site for demonstrations, but few events have received as much media coverage as the Just Stop Oil protests.
The group has made headlines in recent years for committing acts of vandalism at museums.
Protesters and the group at the National Gallery in London Swinging a hammer About Diego Velázquez’sRokeby Venus” and Tomato soup splashing into can About Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”.
Just Stop Oil also expanded its protests to another part of the UK on Thursday, saying two other protesters painted Taylor Swift’s private jet orange at a London airport.
Mr Rooke said he would be celebrating the summer solstice at a local stone circle in Somerset with a small group of friends, a tradition they started when Stonehenge became too busy.
There was music, drums and parties at Stonehenge, he said, “which was all very nice, but my purpose was to witness the sunrise.”
