Just Stop Oil protestors vandalize Stonehenge with orange spraypaint

Just Stop Oil protestors have been filmed vandalizing Stonehenge with orange spray paint.

The environmental activist group, who primarily focus on the issue of human-caused climate change, began vandalizing the ancient site at around midday on Wednesday (July 18).

Footage of the protest was shared on X (formerly Twitter) and shows two people in Just Stop Oil t-shirts running up to the monument with canisters of orange powder paint.

As the protestors - identified as Rajan Naidu, 73, and Niamh Lynch, 21 - began spraying, calls for them to stop could be heard. Some members of the public even attempted to take their canisters away.

The incident comes before thousands of people are expected to travel to Stonehenge for Summer Solstice, which begins tomorrow.

Stonehenge is now coated in orange powder paint. Credit: Kevin A Scherer / Getty

The group revealed in their social media post that they carried out the stunt because they want the "incoming government" to sign up for a legally binding treaty to remove fossil fuels by 2030.

In a statement, Just Stop Oil announced that it was time for “megalithic action” and penned: "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.

"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," they added.

Lynch, a student from Oxford, also issued an individual statement, saying: "Stonehenge at solstice is all about celebrating the natural world – but look at the state it’s in! We all have a right to live a life free from suffering, but continued burning of oil, coal, and gas is leading to death and suffering on an unparalleled scale.

“It’s time for us to think about what our civilization will leave behind – what is our legacy?" they said. “Standing inert for generations works well for stones – not climate policy.”

Fellow protestor Naidu added: "The orange cornflour we used to create an eye-catching spectacle will soon wash away with the rain, but the urgent need for effective government action to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of the climate and ecological crisis will not. Sign the treaty!"

JSO wants the "incoming government" to sign up for a legally binding treaty to remove fossil fuels by 2030. Credit: Peter Adams / Getty

Both Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak condemned the act with the British prime minister calling the group “a disgrace" while the Labour leader added: "The damage done to Stonehenge is outrageous. Just Stop Oil are pathetic. Those responsible must face the full force of the law."

According to The Guardian, Wiltshire Police announced that cops had attended the scene and arrested the protestors.

"At around noon, we responded to a report that orange paint had been sprayed on some of the stones by two suspects. Officers attended the scene and arrested two people on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument. Our inquiries are ongoing," they said.

Featured image credit: Matt Cardy / Getty