Just Stop Oil Protesters Spray Stonehenge Orange, Deny Vandalism Charges

Three Just Stop Oil activists, Rajan Naidu, Niamh Lynch, and Luke Watson, are on trial at Salisbury Crown Court for spraying the prehistoric Stonehenge monument with a highly fluorescent orange powder made of cornflour and talc, using fire extinguishers. The protest, which occurred just before the summer solstice, was intended to draw maximum attention to their demand that the government end new fossil fuel licensing. Prosecutors argue the defendants trespassed into a restricted area, deliberately damaging the ancient protected site and causing public nuisance, while defense is expected to frame the act as peaceful protest. The site, known worldwide for its educational and spiritual significance, suffered cleaning costs estimated at £620. Witnesses, including a member of the public and a Stonehenge assistant, expressed shock and pleaded for the activists to stop. The defendants deny the charges of damaging a protected monument and causing public nuisance, asserting their actions were a form of environmental activism.