British officials saw red Wednesday as two environmental protestors sprayed orange paint on Stonehenge.
Wiltshire Police issued a statement, saying two were arrested “following an incident at Stonehenge” Wednesday afternoon, USA Today reported.
“At around noon, we responded to a report that orange paint had been sprayed on some of the stones by two suspects,” police said. “Officers attended the scene and arrested two people on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument.”
Two members of Just Stop Oil — Niamh Lynch, a 21-year-old student from Oxford, and Rajan Naidu, a 73-year-old from Birmingham — were arrested, per the BBC.
The group posted a video of the incident on X, formerly Twitter, saying “2 people took action the day before Summer Solstice, demanding the incoming government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030,” according to USA Today.
The group issued a news release and said “today’s action has come days after the Labour party’s manifesto has recommitted them to stopping all future licenses for new oil and gas, should they form the next government.”
The group added the orange powder paint was made from cornflour and would “wash away with rain,” per the BBC.
Even if the paint doesn’t last, its effects will.
“Orange powdered paint has been thrown at a number of the stones at Stonehenge,” officials posted on the monument’s official X account.
“Obviously, this is extremely upsetting and our curators are investigating the extent of the damage. More updates to follow but the site remains open,” according to the post.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued a brief statement on X — “Just Stop Oil are a disgrace.”
The BBC reported Mike Pitts, archaeologist and author of “How to Build Stonehenge,” said the defacing of Stonehenge was “potentially quite concerning.”
“The monument has been fenced off for decades and the megaliths’ surfaces are protected,” he said. “They are sensitive and they are completely covered in prehistoric markings which remain to be fully studied and any surface damage to the stones is hugely concerning.
“A rich garden of life has grow on the megaliths, an exceptional lichen garden has grown. So it’s potentially quite concerning,” he said.
