"Paint Made from Corn, Washed Away When It Rains" Claim
"Criticism of Damage to the Oldest and Most Important Monument"
An environmental group that poured soup on Van Gogh's works and the 'Mona Lisa' has now staged a radical protest by splashing orange paint on the ancient British site of Stonehenge.
On the 19th (local time), activists from the environmental group Just Stop Oil sprayed orange paint towards Stonehenge. [Image source: Just Stop Oil X (formerly Twitter) video capture]
On the 19th (local time), British daily The Telegraph and others reported that Wiltshire police arrested two people, Naum Lynch (21) and Rajan Naidu (73), on charges of splashing orange paint on Stonehenge located on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. The environmental group Just Stop Oil, to which they belong, posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing them spraying paint on Stonehenge and being arrested. The group stated, "The two took action the day before the summer solstice, demanding a legally binding agreement from the next government to phase out fossil fuels by 2030." They added, "This paint is made from corn flour and will be washed away by rain, but the necessity and urgency of government action to reduce the catastrophic consequences of the climate and ecological crisis will not disappear."
On the 19th (local time), activists from the environmental group Just Stop Oil sprayed orange paint towards Stonehenge. [Image source: Just Stop Oil X (formerly Twitter) video capture]
The group also shared a video of the incident. In the video, two members of the group spray orange paint on Stonehenge. Despite shouts of "Stop" and "Halt" from bystanders, they continued their actions without concern. Eventually, some of the Stonehenge stones were visibly stained orange even from a distance. The damage ended when a person believed to be a heritage official confiscated the spray cans. Police are continuing their investigation of the arrested activists in cooperation with the local heritage agency.
Stonehenge is a monument consisting of massive stone pillars arranged in a circle, believed to have been constructed in several phases between 3100 BCE and 1600 BCE. It is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site and attracts numerous tourists from around the world. Contrary to the group's claim that the paint will be washed away without damage, there is a possibility that the monument itself and the rare moss communities living there were harmed. X also added a warning under the group's video stating, "Stonehenge is a legally protected monument and a World Heritage site. Such actions are illegal."
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also criticized the group, saying, "This is a disgraceful act of vandalism against one of the oldest and most important monuments in the UK and the world." When it was reported that the paths around Stonehenge were closed due to this incident, a tourist pointed out, "They have deprived people from all over the world of the opportunity to visit and enjoy this landmark."
This environmental group has been demanding that governments worldwide, including the UK, phase out fossil fuel extraction and combustion such as oil, gas, and coal by 2030. However, their methods have been somewhat radical and continuously controversial. In February, they poured soup on Claude Monet's 'Spring,' in January on the 'Mona Lisa,' and in October last year on Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers.' Overseas netizens have reacted negatively to the actions of these environmental activists and groups. Comments include, "I don't see the connection between damaging paintings and a sustainable society," "No one will listen to whatever they say," and "It would be better to take the soup from these crazy people and give it to the homeless."
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