Two climate activists from the notorious group Just Stop Oil have been arrested after storming England’s iconic Stonehenge monument in protest of the Labour Party’s recent election manifesto.
In case you missed it, earlier this week a pair of individuals waltzed right up to the monument and proceeded to unleash a torrent of orange paint across the ancient stones. The video footage, which has since gone viral, shows the activists racing towards the 4,500-year-old stone circle and covering it in thick, vivid orange pigment, which the group claims is made from cornflour and will wash away in the rain. A group of tourists visiting the site appeared to attempt to stop the stunt and ended up engaging in a melodramatic tussle with the climate activists.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wasted no time in denouncing the incident, branding it a “disgraceful act of vandalism.” And disgraceful it was. A third individual attempted to intervene, but the damage was done—several of the sacred stones were left smeared in what looked like a bad Halloween prank gone wrong.
The incident occurred just days before the summer solstice celebrations when thousands of visitors are expected to gather at the site to mark the longest day of the year. English Heritage, the organization responsible for the upkeep of Stonehenge, is in a frenzy, calling the act “extremely upsetting.”
They are currently assessing the damage and considering their next steps to restore the monument. Wiltshire Police have apprehended the two culprits, charging them with vandalizing one of the world’s most famous prehistoric structures. The activists have been identified as Niamh Lynch, a 21-year-old Oxford student, and Rajan Naidu, a 73-year-old from Birmingham.
This isn’t the first time Just Stop Oil has caused mayhem. The group has made a name for itself across Europe, pulling stunts like disrupting major sporting events and defacing famous artworks to highlight the climate crisis.
Their latest attack follows their jolting high-profile protest involving pop superstar Taylor Swift. Her private jet was recently targeted by climate activists, who managed to inflict significant damage with what appears to be the same sort of neon orange cornflour paint. Swift, known for her jet-setting lifestyle, was reportedly furious over the incident.
Climate activists just spraypainted Taylor Swifts jet lmao pic.twitter.com/J6Jb0ogYpt
— 0HOUR (@0HOUR) June 21, 2024
Hip-Hop legend JAY-Z also found himself in a similar pickle last year, when climate activists shut down his lavish yacht party, citing the massive carbon footprint of his maritime escapade. And let’s not forget when eco-warriors barged onto the set of a music video by Beyoncé, causing a commotion and halting production. It seems no one is safe from the wrath of these eco-crusaders, who are willing to go to extreme lengths to make their voices heard.
As Stonehenge stands defaced and Taylor Swift’s jet grounded, the message is loud and clear; the climate warriors are on the warpath, and no icon, be it an ancient monument or modern-day pop star, is off-limits.