A 21-year-old protester who allegedly defaced the iconic Stonehenge site has broken his silence on why they chose to target the beloved prehistoric site.
Just Stop Oil activists Niamh Lynch, an Oxford student, and Rajan Naidoo, 73, a social justice campaigner, allegedly sprayed powdered orange paint on the standing stones around midday on Wednesday (local time).
The act left long orange marks on some of the stones of the prehistoric megalithic structure on the eve of the summer solstice celebrations.
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Around 8,000 people gathered at Stonehenge to mark the longest day of the year in 2023, with similar numbers expected on Thursday for this year’s solstice.
The paint is believed to be made from “orange cornflower” which will wash away with rain.
In a clip posted on Just stop Oil’s X accountLynch explained why Stonehenge was the target of their latest demonstration.
“For thousands of years, people have come to Stonehenge on the solstice to celebrate the beauty of our natural world. But I can’t help but think about how he looks today and what the hell we’ve done to him. These stones have been standing here for 5000 years. What will the world look like in 5000 years? Lynch said.
“It is time to think about what our civilization will leave – what is our legacy?”
“Inertia for generations works well for rocks – not for climate policy.”
English Heritage, the charity that runs Stonehenge, condemned the attack on H: “This is extremely upsetting and our curators are investigating the extent of the damage.”
The UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the UK’s most visited tourist destinations, has spiritual significance and attracts thousands of celebrants, spiritualists and tourists during the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
However, the monument remained open after the incident.
“Just stop oil is a disgrace,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said said to X of the protest.
“The damage to Stonehenge is outrageous,” said opposition Labor leader Keir Starmer said on his X account.
Members of the public were able to walk around the stone circle, located in southern England, until 1977, when it was fenced off due to fears of damage from a sharp increase in visitor numbers.
Just Stop Oil gained notoriety in the UK for its destructive environmental protests, with its activists closing major roads, disrupting cultural and sporting events and even throwing soup at a Van Gogh painting.
The group wants the UK government to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.
— With AAP
