UK Court Acquits Just Stop Oil Protesters of Stonehenge Criminal Damage

Three Just Stop Oil activists, including Rajan Naidu, Niamh Lynch, and Luke Watson, were acquitted of criminal damage charges after spraying Stonehenge with orange powder during a fossil fuel protest. The activists cited their rights to freedom of speech and protest under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights as their defense. The court found no lasting damage to the ancient monument, and the cost of cleaning the powder was minimal. Prosecutors described the act as vandalism, but the jury upheld the activists' right to peaceful protest, emphasizing its importance in a democratic society. The defendants argued their protest was peaceful, carefully planned, and a legitimate cause concerning fossil fuels. The public nuisance charge was dismissed as an affront to their right to protest.