Two protesters have been arrested after spraying orange paint on Stonehenge, an ancient and famous monument. Some onlookers tried to stop them.
The event occurred on Wednesday, according to NBC News. Two people reportedly ran up to the monument and began spraying orange paint onto the 4,500-year-old stones. A third person ran up in an attempt to stop them as orange smears appeared all over the structure.
What did protesters do to Stonehenge?
The protesters represented a group called Just Stop Oil, per the BBC. Their motivation behind the deed was “to demand the next UK government end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.”
One BBC correspondent, Paul Clifton, said that the other tourists at Stonehenge seemed “slightly bemused” as security guards stood by the path. Other staff members were left shaken by the incident.
According to The Associated Press, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the act as a “disgraceful act of vandalism.”
A 73-year-old man and 21-year-old woman were reportedly released on bail on Thursday “after being arrested a day earlier on suspicion of criminal damage, damaging an ancient monument and deterring a person from engaging in a lawful activity.”
The two protesters were identified as Rajan Naidu and Niamh Lynch.
According to the BBC, experts are concerned about the potential consequences of the orange paint on the ancient monument. Archaeologist Mike Pitts told the BBC, “The monument has been fenced off for decades and the megaliths’ surfaces are protected.”
He continued, “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 grown on the megaliths, an exceptional lichen garden has grown,” Pitts said. “So it’s potentially quite concerning.”
In order to remove the powder, officials have used blown air.
Per The Associated Press, experts were concerned about how the orange powder would react to water, despite assurances from Just Stop Oil that “the paint was made of cornstarch and would dissolve in the rain.”
Have any other sites been vandalized?
Just Stop Oil has claimed responsibility for several other acts of vandalism, per The Associated Press. Some protesters have “halted sporting events, sullied famous works of art and caused traffic jams.”
The group and its methods are widely criticized.
According to The Guardian, two activists have also sprayed orange paint on private jets at London’s Stansted Airport, where Taylor Swift’s plane is currently stationed. The two women were arrested.
Nick Merriman, English Heritage chief executive, updated BBC Radio 4′s Today program ahead of the summer solstice, “So far, there seems to be no visible damage. The site is open to the public again and for the solstice tomorrow.”