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Based in England, Stonehenge is a historic monument that pays tribute to the various movements of the sun. Today, some theories posit that the iconic landmark's stones were once relied upon as a sort of calendar.

Many people who visit England frequently make the journey to see Stonehenge for themselves. Tour guides taking travelers to this monument, along with other attractive destinations, are easy to find on apps like Viator or GetYourGuide.

Stonehenge is making headlines this week, albeit for quite an unfortunate reason. On Wednesday morning, protesters with the climate activist group known as "Just Stop Oil" went viral for vandalizing Stonehenge with orange cornflower spray.

UK leaders and others condemn the attacks

Just Stop Oil - per its X bio - is on a mission to have the British government eliminate the burning of fossil fuels by 2030. It also aims to have all licenses for oil, gas, and coal officially revoked.

Just Stop Oil believes these measures are critical to tackling the climate crisis; though their latest methods for drawing attention to the issue are sure to bring about legal consequences.

As a UNESCO world heritage site, Stonehenge exists under a series of different protection orders. This subsequently makes damaging or vandalizing the stones a criminal offense.

Stonehenge is protected by the ancient monuments act and it is a criminal offence to damage the Stones. There are also multiple rare lichen species growing on the stones that are also protected. Expect a prison sentence. 😡 https://t.co/4sFprTUwUi

— Stonehenge U.K (@ST0NEHENGE) June 19, 2024

On social media, the official Stonehenge UK page expressed outrage over the acts of Just Stop Oil protesters. When the climate activist group claimed the orange cornflower would eventually wash off the stones, Stonehenge UK noted that the Ancient Monuments Act of 1882 outlaws the attacks perpetrated by the protesters.

Other individuals, such as UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, slammed Just Stop Oil as disgraceful and reprehensible. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling also joined in, warning that the climate activist group's behavior isn't winning over public sentiment.

Legal consequences have already begun

After the vandalism, Wiltshire Police arrested 73-year-old Rajan Naidu of Birmingham and Niamh Lynch, a 21-year-old student at the University of Oxford. At this time, there's been no public confirmation of the charges that Naidu and Lynch will face as a result of their actions.