Two activists from the environmental group Just Stop Oil were arrested this Wednesday after spraying orange paint on the famous Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire, southwest England. The county police have explained that both face charges for damaging this set of megalithic stones. The events have been witnessed by witnesses who have tried to intervene, as can be seen in a video broadcast by the group itself on its website and on social networks. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already described the events as “vandalism” during the United Kingdom election campaign.
The images, released by the activist group in X, show two people dressed in white running towards two of the megaliths with the painting in their hands, while another person tries to stop them. Just Stop Oil has explained in a statement that its protest aims for the next Government to design an international plan to eliminate fossil fuels by 2030 and has assured that the paint will not cause harm.
“The orange corn flour we use to create an eye-catching spectacle will soon disappear with the rain, but the urgent need for effective government action to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of the climate and ecological crisis will not,” activists said during the action. But heritage protection organization English Heritage is assessing the impact of the damage to the monument, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was built between 3,100 and 1,600 BC. c.
This activist group has already thrown two cans of tomato soup on the painting of The sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh at the National Gallery in London in October 2022. The iconic work suffered no apparent damage because it was protected by glass. Protesters also stuck to a gallery wall.
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