OAN’s Brooke Mallory
2:40 PM – Wednesday, June 19, 2024
On Wednesday afternoon, environmental activists sprayed an orange “paint-like” material over a portion of the famous Stonehenge in Britain.
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Videos of the incident were shared on social media by the British environmental activist organization Just Stop Oil, which showed two of its activists dousing three stones inside the ancient megalithic monument on Salisbury Plain in the Wiltshire county of southern England.
The environmental group said that both individuals were later arrested, and they shared a video showing the two activists being taken into custody.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Wiltshire Police said that when their officers arrived at Stonehenge, they “arrested two people on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument.”
According to the police department, the investigation into the incident is still “ongoing.”
The orange material that was sprayed was described as “orange powder paint” by Just Stop Oil in a post on X (Twitter). It “is made of cornstarch, which will wash away in the rain,” the group claimed.
“But the urgent need for effective government action to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of the climate and ecological crisis will not,” they added.
According to a statement released by Just Stop Oil on Wednesday, the organization is calling for the British government to create “a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.” This was their reason for holding the action at Stonehenge.
However, many online users noted the similarity between the environmental group’s wishes in relation to the UN and World Economic Forum’s (WEF) goals.
“The transition to clean energy is happening worldwide and it’s unstoppable. It’s not a question of ‘if’, it’s just a matter of ‘how soon’ – and the sooner the better for all of us,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, which was posted on the WEF’s website.
“The United States is committed to the full implementation of 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, at home and abroad. As a long-standing leader on global development, the United States is committed to reinvigorating action on this agenda alongside our partners around the world,” A 2023 White House release stated.
In relation to the environmental group’s recent efforts to make a statement, an English Heritage representative also verified to ABC News that “orange powdered paint has been thrown at a number of the stones at Stonehenge.”
English Heritage is the nonprofit organization responsible for maintaining Stonehenge and hundreds of other historic sites throughout England.
“Obviously, this is extremely upsetting and our curators are investigating the extent of the damage,” the spokesperson said on Wednesday. “Stonehenge remains open to the public.”
One of the most visited tourist destinations in the UK is Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Just Stop Oil has gained notoriety in the UK for its disruptive environmental demonstrations, which have resulted in the closure of major roads, disruptions to public transit, and even vandalism of well-known artwork in galleries and museums by its fellow activists.
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