# News - Stonehenge monument sprayed orange in UK climate protest
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2024/06/20/stonehenge-monument-sprayed-orange-in-uk-climate-protest_6675249_114.html
Police have arrested two climate activists after they spread 'orange
powder paint' around the iconic monolithic site in a protest demanding
that Britain's next government legally commit to phasing out fossil
fuels.
Le Monde with AFP
UK police arrested two people on Wednesday, June 19, after
environmental activists sprayed an orange substance on Stonehenge, the
renowned prehistoric UNESCO world heritage site in southwest England.
The Just Stop Oil protest group said two activists had "decorated
Stonehenge in orange powder paint" to demand that Britain's next
government legally commit to phasing out fossil fuels by 2030.
Footage posted on social media showed activists, wearing "Just Stop
Oil" branded T-shirts, spraying a cluster of the megalithic standing
stones with the orange substance from a small canister. The group said
Niamh Lynch, a 21-year-old student, and Rajan Naidu, 73, had used
"orange cornflour" for the stunt.
It claimed the substance would "soon wash away with the rain." English
Heritage, the public body which manages the site, said its experts
were probing "the extent of the damage" to the circle of stones some
of which are believed to date back 5,000 years.
Wiltshire Police said in a statement that it had arrested two people
following the incident. "Officers attended the scene and arrested two
people on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument," the force
added. "Our inquiries are ongoing and we are working closely with
English Heritage."
'Disgraceful'
Footage of the stunt showed several people trying to restrain the pair
as they sprayed the standing stones, before the duo stopped and
remained sat on the ground. An English Heritage spokesperson called
the protest action "extremely upsetting" but noted the site remained
open to the public. "Our curators are investigating the extent of the
damage," she said.
The incident comes in the middle of the campaign for a general
election on July 4. It drew condemnation from the leaders of Britain's
main political parties. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called it "a
disgraceful act of vandalism to one of the UK's and the world's oldest
and most important monuments."
"Just Stop Oil should be ashamed of their activists," he added.
Labour leader Keir Starmer, who polls predict will be the next prime
minister, said it was "outrageous" and branded Just Stop Oil
"pathetic." "Those responsible must face the full force of the law,"
he added, in a sentiment echoed by Ed Davey, leader of the centrist
Liberal Democrats.
'Resistance'
Just Stop Oil, formed in 2022, wants an end to new oil and gas
exploration in the North Sea off the UK's east coast. It has staged
numerous protests, primarily aimed at disrupting events, institutions
or aspects of daily life, leading to thousands of its activists being
arrested and scores jailed.
The latest action was staged on the day before the Summer Solstice
festival, when crowds gather at Stonehenge to celebrate the northern
hemisphere's summer solstice. A spokesperson said that although the
Labour party, which is expected to win next month's election, has
vowed not to issue any new oil and gas drilling licenses, "we all know
this is not enough."
"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
spokesperson added. "Failure to commit to defending our communities
will mean Just Stop Oil supporters... will join in resistance this
summer, if their own governments do not take meaningful action.
"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."
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Police have arrested two climate activists after they spread 'orange
powder paint' around the iconic monolithic site in a protest demanding
that Britain's next government legally commit to phasing out fossil
fuels.
Le Monde with AFP
UK police arrested two people on Wednesday, June 19, after
environmental activists sprayed an orange substance on Stonehenge, the
renowned prehistoric UNESCO world heritage site in southwest England.
The Just Stop Oil protest group said two activists had "decorated
Stonehenge in orange powder paint" to demand that Britain's next
government legally commit to phasing out fossil fuels by 2030.
Footage posted on social media showed activists, wearing "Just Stop
Oil" branded T-shirts, spraying a cluster of the megalithic standing
stones with the orange substance from a small canister. The group said
Niamh Lynch, a 21-year-old student, and Rajan Naidu, 73, had used
"orange cornflour" for the stunt.
It claimed the substance would "soon wash away with the rain." English
Heritage, the public body which manages the site, said its experts
were probing "the extent of the damage" to the circle of stones some
of which are believed to date back 5,000 years.
Wiltshire Police said in a statement that it had arrested two people
following the incident. "Officers attended the scene and arrested two
people on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument," the force
added. "Our inquiries are ongoing and we are working closely with
English Heritage."
'Disgraceful'
Footage of the stunt showed several people trying to restrain the pair
as they sprayed the standing stones, before the duo stopped and
remained sat on the ground. An English Heritage spokesperson called
the protest action "extremely upsetting" but noted the site remained
open to the public. "Our curators are investigating the extent of the
damage," she said.
The incident comes in the middle of the campaign for a general
election on July 4. It drew condemnation from the leaders of Britain's
main political parties. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called it "a
disgraceful act of vandalism to one of the UK's and the world's oldest
and most important monuments."
"Just Stop Oil should be ashamed of their activists," he added.
Labour leader Keir Starmer, who polls predict will be the next prime
minister, said it was "outrageous" and branded Just Stop Oil
"pathetic." "Those responsible must face the full force of the law,"
he added, in a sentiment echoed by Ed Davey, leader of the centrist
Liberal Democrats.
'Resistance'
Just Stop Oil, formed in 2022, wants an end to new oil and gas
exploration in the North Sea off the UK's east coast. It has staged
numerous protests, primarily aimed at disrupting events, institutions
or aspects of daily life, leading to thousands of its activists being
arrested and scores jailed.
The latest action was staged on the day before the Summer Solstice
festival, when crowds gather at Stonehenge to celebrate the northern
hemisphere's summer solstice. A spokesperson said that although the
Labour party, which is expected to win next month's election, has
vowed not to issue any new oil and gas drilling licenses, "we all know
this is not enough."
"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
spokesperson added. "Failure to commit to defending our communities
will mean Just Stop Oil supporters... will join in resistance this
summer, if their own governments do not take meaningful action.
"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."
--
---
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Para anular a subscrição deste grupo e parar de receber emails do mesmo, envie um email para pensantes1+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
Para ver este debate na Web, visite https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pensantes1/CACQGZqr8nxgjajJa1FtYgwn-NQoN_XQ%2B2Jp7yhXQ8PCGbGaC3A%40mail.gmail.com.