Two activists spray paint on Stonehenge to demand end to fossil fuels

Two environmental protesters sprayed paint on the stonehenge British on Wednesday, with orange markings covering some of the stones of the prehistoric megalithic structure on the eve of summer solstice celebrations. Both have been arrested on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument, the police said in a statement.

“This is extremely worrying and our conservators are investigating the extent of the damage,” English Heritage, the charity that runs Stonehenge, said in X. Stonehenge remains open, reports Reuters. The monument, one of the most visited tourist sites in the United Kingdom, also has spiritual significance and attracts thousands of visitors during the Summer Solsticethe longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

For its part, Just Stop Oil has claimed responsibility for the attack. In a post on Twitter, the environmental organization added that the two authors threw paint on the Cromlech to “demand that the incoming government [es decir, el que salga de las elecciones del próximo 4 de julio]to sign a legally binding treaty to eliminate fossil fuels before 2030″.

In a video released by the environmental group, two protesters are seen running towards two of the Stonehenge megaliths and spraying corn flour with orange paint while another person tries to stop them.

The public was able to walk inside the stone circle, located in the south of England, to 1977, the year it was fenced for fear of the damage that could be caused by the sharp increase in the number of visitors.

[¿Por qué rechazamos los ataques ecologistas en los museos?]

“Just Stop Oil are a disgrace”said the prime minister Rishi Sunak at the X of the protest at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just Stop Oil has become famous in the UK for its disruptive environmental protests, in which activists have blocked main roads, disrupted cultural and sporting events and even thrown soup at a Van Gogh painting. The group wants the British government to end drilling and burning oil, gas and coal by 2030.