Just Stop Oil activists spray orange powder paint on Stonehenge ahead of Summer Solstice

Two activists from Just Stop Oil sprayed orange powder paint on Stonehenge, the 5,000-year-old historical monument. The protesters, identified as Niamh Lynch, a 21-year-old Oxford student, and Rajan Naidu, a 73-year-old from Birmingham, were detained by Wiltshire Police on suspicion of damaging the ancient site. Their action occurred shortly before Summer Solstice celebrations were scheduled to begin at the monument on 20 June. In a statement, the group demanded that the incoming UK government commit to ending oil, gas, and coal extraction and burning by 2030. Lynch stated that while Stonehenge celebrates the natural world, continued fossil fuel use causes unprecedented suffering. Naidu noted the orange cornflour used would wash away with rain. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the act as disgraceful vandalism against one of the world's oldest and most important monuments.