A group of climate activists known as “Just Stop Oil” has come under fire after defacing Stonehenge with orange paint in a dramatic protest against fossil fuels. The incident, which occurred last Wednesday, was intended to pressure the UK government to sign the Fossil Fuel Nonproliferation Treaty and eliminate fossil fuel use by 2030.
The activists sprayed the ancient stones with paint made from cornflower, claiming it was harmless. Niamh Lynch, a 21-year-old Oxford student and leader of the protest, justified the action by questioning the long-term legacy of fossil fuels. “These stones have stood here for 5,000 years. What will the world look like in 5,000 years’ time? What will our legacy be? … We end the fossil fuel era or the fossil fuel era ends us,” Lynch stated in a video.
The protest has been met with widespread condemnation. BlazeTV’s Sara Gonzales criticized the activists, suggesting their actions would backfire and turn public opinion against them. “Well, I can tell you that your legacy will be … that everyone will hate your movement because you’re so insufferable,” she remarked. BlazeTV contributor Jaco Booyens mocked the protesters, saying, “Let’s cause destruction under the auspice of doing good. Let’s burn America down and say it’s peaceful.”
The official Stonehenge Twitter account, @StonehengeU.K, also condemned the vandalism, pointing out the contradiction in damaging a historic site in the name of environmental preservation. The incident has reignited discussions about the efficacy and appropriateness of such extreme forms of protest.
Adding to the controversy, some believe these radical acts could be a strategy by the fossil fuel industry to discredit climate activism. Sara Gonzales shared a conspiracy theory suggesting that these actions might be a deliberate “psyop” by Big Oil to turn public sentiment against climate activists.
The defacement of Stonehenge has sparked a broader debate on the impact of radical environmental protests and the potential repercussions on the credibility of the climate movement.
