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Stonehenge was sprayed with orange paint by Just Stop Oil campaigners demanding the UK ‘phase out fossil fuels’

Posted on by angelo
Stonehenge was sprayed with orange paint by Just Stop Oil campaigners demanding the UK ‘phase out fossil fuels’

London – Environmental activists pulverized several of the iconic British landmark’s ancient stones Stonehenge site with an orange substance on Wednesday, demanding that the next British government – ​​which is expected to be chosen in a national election On July 5, “sign a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030,” protest group Just Stop Oil said.

A video posted by the group showed two activists running toward the prehistoric stones at the UNESCO world heritage site with what looked like fire extinguishers, then dousing them with what the group called “orange paint powder.”

Just Stop Oil said campaigners had “decorated” the stones to draw attention to the “failure of the UK government to commit to defending our communities”.

Passers-by intervened to try to stop the activists, and Wiltshire Police later said two people had been arrested on “suspicion of damaging the ancient monument”.

“Supporters of Just Stop Oil, as well as citizens of Austria, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland will join the resistance this summer, if their own governments do not take significant action,” he said. declared a spokesperson for the group in a press release.

The organization that manages the Stonehenge site, English Heritage, told CBS News the incident was “extremely upsetting and our conservationists are investigating the extent of the damage” but that the monument remained open to the public.

The protest took place a day before the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, when crowds traditionally gather at Stonehenge to celebrate and watch the rising sun appear through the ancient stones.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the incumbent Conservative Party chairman who opinion polls show far behind his main rival weeks before the election, issued a brief response to the protest on Wednesday, calling Just Stop Oil a “disgrace.”

As leader of the country, Sunak rejected plans to impose a ban on the sale of new petrol vehicles from 2030 to 2035 and promised that if re-elected he would not impose any new fuel efficiency rules to owners in the United Kingdom.

“Stonehenge at the solstice is meant to celebrate the natural world, but look at the state it is in! We all have the right to live a life free of suffering, but the continued burning of oil, coal and gas is causing the death and suffering on an unprecedented scale,” Just Stop Oil said. “It is time for us to think about what our civilization will leave behind – what is our legacy? Staying inert for generations works well for stones – not for climate policy.”

The group has staged a series of protests over the past year, dousing famous works of art with a similar orange substance and even blocking traffic on the main M-25 motorway that circles London.

Haley Ott

Haley Ott is the international reporter for CBS News Digital, based in the CBS News London bureau.