Two climate protesters spray Stonehenge with orange paint and call for an end to burning fossil fuels

Just Stop Oil said the protesters were Niamh Lynch, 21, a student at Oxford University, and Rajan Naidu, 73, from Birmingham.

“The orange cornflour we used to create an eye-catching spectacle will soon wash away with the rain, but the urgent need for effective government action to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of the climate and ecological crisis will not,” Lynch said in a statement.

The Wiltshire Police said they arrested two people on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument, but did not disclose names.

English Heritage, the charity that manages hundreds of historic places, and UK politicians criticized Just Stop Oil’s actions on Wednesday.

“Obviously, this is extremely upsetting and our curators are investigating the extent of the damage,” English Heritage posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “More updates to follow but the site remains open.”

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told news outlets, including the Guardian, that defacing Stonehenge was a “disgraceful act of vandalism to one of the UK’s and the world’s oldest and most important monuments.”