Two Just Stop Oil protesters who spraypainted Stonehenge with oranged paint today have been revealed to be a bird-watching Oxford geography student and an elderly social justice campaigner and Quaker.
Rajan Naidu, 73, and Niamh Lynch, 21, ran up to the stone circle at around 12pm on Wednesday and released clouds of paint against several of the huge stones just 24 hours before thousands flock to the landmark to celebrate summer solstice.
Ms Lynch, a student at the University of Oxford, is a youth representative at the British Trust for Ornithology – the study of birds – and an officer at Oxford University‘s Nature Conservation Society.
She is also the events team leader at Oxford Climate Society and a keen cricketer.
Her fellow protester Mr Naidu, from Birmingham, is understood to be a Quaker who has previously been jailed for his role in climate protests.
Rajan Naidu, 73, and Niamh Lynch, 21, ran up to the stone circle at around 12pm on Wednesday
The pair (pictured) have now been arrested by police on suspicion of damaging the monument
The ‘social justice campaigner’ was sentenced to 34 days in prison for his part in a demonstration at Kingsbury Oil Terminal in north Warwickshire.
By attending the action, Mr Naidu was among a group of activists who all broke an injunction.
Video footage posted on social media showed two people wearing white shirts with the slogan Just Stop Oil, approaching the monoliths with canisters spraying orange powder paint.
Several of the iconic stones – dating back to the late Neolithic period – were seen covered in orange paint before one protester sat on the grass and the other was detained by a member of the public.
As police officers led the pair away, one man could be heard shouting: ‘You dirty scum. This is a temple, not a publicity stunt!’
Ms Lynch said: ‘Stonehenge at solstice is all about celebrating the natural world – but look at the state it’s in! We all have a right to live a life free from suffering, but continued burning of oil, coal and gas is leading to death and suffering on an unparalleled scale.’
‘It’s time for us to think about what our civilization will leave behind – what is our legacy?
‘Standing inert for generations works well for stones – not climate policy.’
Niamh Lynch is a geography student at the University of Oxford and has interests in birds and cricket
One woman was seen desperately trying to drag the protesters away during the incident
Other members of the public later tried to help the women wrestle the canister off the protesters
Several stones were covered in the substance before the protesters stopped and sat cross legged on the grass
Members of the public were seen trying to prevent the protesters by dragging them away
Just Stop Oil protesters have sprayed Stonehenge with orange paint in their latest stunt
Mr Naidu added: ‘Either we end the fossil fuel era, or the fossil fuel era will end us. Just as fifty 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.
‘The orange cornflour we used to create an eye-catching spectacle will soon wash away with the rain, but the urgent need for effective government action to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of the climate and ecological crisis will not. Sign the treaty!’
The prime minister described the spraying of orange paint on Stonehenge as ‘a disgraceful act of vandalism’ as two people were arrested on suspicion of damaging the monument.
A spokeswoman for English Heritage described the spraying of paint at the Stonehenge stones as ‘extremely upsetting’.
She said: ‘Orange powdered paint has been thrown at a number of the stones at Stonehenge.
Rajan Naidu (left) was one of around 50 people who were arrested after Just Stop Oil activists protested outside an oil terminal on September 14, 2022
The group blocked the entrance to the Kingsbury Oil Terminal in Warwickshire in breach of a High Court injunction
‘Obviously, this is extremely upsetting and our curators are investigating the extent of the damage. Stonehenge remains open to the public.’
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson 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.
‘Failure to commit to defending our communities will mean Just Stop Oil supporters, along with citizens from Austria, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland will join in resistance this summer, if their own Governments do not take meaningful action.
‘Stone circles can be found in every part of Europe showing how we’ve always cooperated across vast distances – we’re building on that legacy.’
Wiltshire Police said officers had attended the scene and arrested two people.
A spokesman added: ‘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.’