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

The protesters, who were arrested by local police, demanded the UK government phase out fossil fuels by 2030.

• Two climate protesters were arrested for spraying orange powder paint on Stonehenge.
• The protesters were part of Just Stop Oil, a group demanding that the UK phase out fossil fuels.
• English Heritage, which manages Stonehenge, criticized the vandalism but said the site is open.

Two climate protesters were arrested on Wednesday after they sprayed orange powder paint on Stonehenge, the prehistoric landmark in Wiltshire, England.

It was the latest action by Just Stop Oil, which is part of a network of civil disobedience groups that have defaced famous artwork, disrupted high-profile events, and protested outside at politicians' homes to call attention to the climate crisis. Just Stop Oil is demanding that the incoming UK government commit to ending the extraction and burning of oil, gas, and coal by 2030.

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."