Two incidents involving Just Stop Oil activists have led to arrests and public outcry this week in the UK.
At Stonehenge, near Salisbury, Wiltshire, two Just Stop Oil protesters were apprehended on Wednesday after spraying orange powder paint on the 5,000-year-old monument around noon. English Heritage chief executive Dr. Nick Merriman stated that experts quickly cleaned the site with an air blower, avoiding water that could have caused significant damage to the rare lichens covering the stones. He confirmed that the ancient landmark would reopen for the Summer Solstice festivities. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer condemned the act as vandalism.
In a related incident, early Thursday morning at Stansted Airport in Essex, Jennifer Kowalski, 28, and Cole Macdonald, 22, were arrested after spraying two private jets with orange paint. The activists gained access to the airfield by cutting through a fence. Just Stop Oil claimed the action was to demand an end to fossil fuel extraction by 2030. Essex Police confirmed that the activists were detained and flights continued as scheduled.
Just Stop Oil advocates for halting fossil fuel use to address climate change, stating that their motives are rooted in pressing for significant environmental policy changes.