Eco-activists who spray-painted Stonehenge refused to plead guilty

Activists of the environmental movement Just Stop Oil, who sprayed orange powder paint on Stonehenge in the summer of 2024, refused to plead guilty in court. The Guardian reported on January 29 that.

"Rajan Naidu, 74, and Niamh Lynch, 22, pleaded not guilty to two counts of damaging an ancient protected monument and causing public nuisance," the publication said.

According to the newspaper, the third offender, 35-year-old Luke Watson was excused from the hearing at Salisbury Crown Court, and thus he did not enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. He will appear in court on May 30, the publication specified.

A further hearing has been set for October 20, it will last two weeks and will take place at Winchester Crown Court. A pre-trial hearing will take place on September 19. Naidoo and Lynch have been released on bail.

Activists painted Stonehenge in orange on June 19, 2024. Thus they protested against the extraction of oil, coal and gas. Then representatives of Just Stop Oil said that there are similar stone buildings on any continent and people who pay attention to them do not think enough about climate problems.

Later, on November 14 of the same year, the Crown Prosecution Service noted that it had authorized Wiltshire Police to charge Naidu Rajan and Niamh Lynch with crimes related to damage to the protected monument Stonehenge. The prosecutor's office recalled that criminal proceedings are underway against the eco-activists.

Stonehenge - a group of giant stones set in a circle about 2.5 thousand years BC on the Salisbury Plain. Its heaviest stones weigh 30-40 tons. The true purpose of the complex is still unknown. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986. On the days of the winter and summer solstices, as well as the spring and fall equinoxes, people can visit the complex free of charge, while being able to go inside and touch the boulders.