Stonehenge was painted orange by Just Stop Oil protesters

The group said in a statement that it was “demanding that our next government sign a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.” He said the paint was made from cornmeal which would wash away with rain. He identified the protesters involved as Niamh Lynch, 21, and Rajan Naidu, 73.

Local police said they arrested two people following the incident.

English Heritage, the charity which runs Stonehenge, said the site remained open. “This is obviously extremely upsetting and our curators are investigating the extent of the damage,” he said on social media.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted after the incident that Just Stop Oil was “a disgrace.” Opposition leader Keir Starmer was also critical, saying in an article that “the damage to Stonehenge is outrageous” and that those “responsible must face the full force of the law.”

There has been a wave of protests involving historical objects and artwork in recent years, with activists splashing paint, soup and other substances on artworks such as the Mona Lisa and the “Sunflowers” ​​by Van Gogh.» to draw attention to issues such as the climate crisis – and spark an international call from museums to stop.

This week’s incident, however, appears to be “a slight escalation,” said Shannon Gibson, a professor at the University of Southern California who studies global environmental policy and social movements. While previous incidents at museums have typically caused only superficial damage to the protective covering of a work of art or historical object, Stonehenge protesters placed paint directly on a famous landmark of UNESCO. World Heritage Site.

Critics say such protests can alienate potential supporters of climate justice movements and create spectacle rather than bring about change.

But Gibson said the protests were meant to be a spectacle — and that demonstrations at sites like museums and historical monuments affected individuals. which can be protected from the impacts of climate change.

“We don’t need to protest on the islands, on the coasts or in the Arctic: they understand it, they know it, they live it,” she said. “It’s like saying to the people who hold the money, make the decisions and control fossil fuels: ‘This affects you too.'”

By targeting an old structure, something that people “think can never change,” Gibson said, such protests provide “a juxtaposition between what has stood the test of time and what won’t if we don’t solve the climate crisis.”

The unique stone circle of Stonehenge was built around 2,500 BC to align with the movements of the sun. On the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, thousands gather to watch the sun rise through a gap in the outer circle of stones.

UNESCO describes the site as “the most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world.”