"No damage"

Stonehenge is clean again after paint attack

After the incident, many people expressed concern for the historic monument.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

The fact that the Stonehenge monument was sprayed with an orange-colored substance by climate activists (see video) has caused international outrage. Now the all-clear has been given: The landmark has not suffered any damage, as the organization responsible for it has now announced.

The activists from "Just Stop Oil" had sprayed orange paint on the stone circle - but emphasized that the paint was made of corn starch and could therefore be washed off by rain. However, the organization English Heritage, which manages Stonehenge as well as hundreds of other historically valuable objects, wanted to play it safe and had the monument cleaned.

Stonehenge reopened to visitors
"Our experts have already managed to remove the orange powder from the stones because we were really worried about what would happen if they came into contact with water," the head of English Heritage, Nick Merriman, told the BBC on Thursday. The site has been reopened to the public. The summer solstice is to be celebrated as planned on Friday night.

After the incident, many people expressed concern for the historic monument.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

(Bild: Just Stop Oil)

Premier Sunak described the incident as vandalism
The police arrested two suspects after the spray attack. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the action as vandalism. He stated on Twitter: "Just Stop Oil is a disgrace."

Organization: Action "does not help the cause"
Stonehenge is one of the UK's most famous landmarks. The stones are aligned with the position of the sun at the summer and winter solstices. The protest action is difficult to understand, as the stones represent the desire to connect with nature, said Merriman. He respects the right to demonstrate and would like people to keep their protests away from cultural sites, museums and galleries, "because we feel it doesn't help their cause".

Here, activists spray-paint private jets at Stansted airfield:

The activists released a new video on Thursday showing planes being sprayed with paint. The group wrote on the X platform that the private airfield at Stansted, north of London, is also where US superstar Taylor Swift's plane, who is currently touring the UK, is parked. The group called for a mandatory phase-out of fossil fuels by 2030 and police arrested two women.