Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer were united in condemnation of Just Stop Oil after activists targeted Stonehenge with orange powder paint.
The UK prime minister described it as a “disgraceful act of vandalism” while the Labour leader branded the group “pathetic”.
Members tried to intervene, struggling with the campaigners – named by the group as Rajan Naidu, 73, and Niamh Lynch, 21 – as they ran up to the ancient monument on Wednesday.
Video footage posted on social media showed two people wearing white shirts with the slogan Just Stop Oil, approaching the stone circle with canisters and spraying orange powder paint.
Mr Sunak said: “This is a disgraceful act of vandalism to one of the UK’s and the world’s oldest and most important monuments.”
In a reference to green energy entrepreneur Dale Vince, Mr Sunak added: “Just Stop Oil should be ashamed of their activists, and they and anyone associated with them, including a certain Labour Party donor, should issue a condemnation of this shameful act immediately.”
The damage done to Stonehenge is outrageous. Just Stop Oil are pathetic. Those responsible must face the full force of the law.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 19, 2024
Sir Keir said: “The damage done to Stonehenge is outrageous. Just Stop Oil are pathetic.
“Those responsible must face the full force of the law.”
Wiltshire Police said officers had attended the scene and arrested two people.
🚨 BREAKING: Just Stop Oil Spray Stonehenge Orange
🔥 2 people took action the day before Summer Solstice, demanding the incoming government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.
🧯 Help us take megalithic action — https://t.co/R20S8YQD1j pic.twitter.com/ufzO8ZiDWu— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) June 19, 2024
A spokesman for the force said: “At around noon, we responded to a report that orange paint had been sprayed on some of the stones by two suspects.
“Officers attended the scene and arrested two people on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument.
“Our inquiries are ongoing, and we are working closely with English Heritage.”
Orange powdered paint has been thrown at a number of the stones at Stonehenge. Obviously, this is extremely upsetting and our curators are investigating the extent of the damage. More updates to follow but the site remains open.
— Stonehenge (@EH_Stonehenge) June 19, 2024
English Heritage said experts were assessing the “extent of the damage” on the stones.
A spokeswoman said: “Orange powdered paint has been thrown at a number of the stones at Stonehenge.
“Obviously, this is extremely upsetting and our curators are investigating the extent of the damage. Stonehenge remains open to the public.”
In a statement, Just Stop Oil said its action was to demand that the incoming UK government should agree a plan with other governments to end the extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030.
A spokesperson for the group said: “The UK’s government-in-waiting has committed to enacting Just Stop Oil’s original demand of ‘no new oil and gas’. However, we all know this is not enough.
“Continuing to burn coal, oil and gas will result in the death of millions. We have to come together to defend humanity or we risk everything.
“That’s why Just Stop Oil is demanding that our next government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.”
The group said it used orange cornflour paint to spray onto the stones, which it claimed would “soon wash away with the rain”.
The incident happened on Wednesday at about 12pm, the day before the summer solstice is celebrated at Stonehenge, which is at the heart of a World Heritage site.
Around 8,000 people gathered at Stonehenge to mark the longest day of the year in 2023, with similar numbers expected on Thursday.
The solstice will be celebrated from 7pm on Thursday until 8am on Friday.
In a statement released by Just Stop Oil, Miss Lynch, a student from Oxford, said the continued burning of fossil fuels was leading to “death and suffering”.
“It’s time for us to think about what our civilisation will leave behind – what is our legacy?” she said.
“Standing inert for generations works well for stones – not climate policy.”
Mr Naidu, from Birmingham, added: “Either we end the fossil-fuel era, or the fossil-fuel era will end us.
“Just as 50 years ago, when the world used international treaties to defuse the threats posed by nuclear weapons, today the world needs a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to phase out fossil fuels and to support dependent economies, workers and communities to move away from oil, gas and coal.”
