JK Rowling has mocked Simply Cease Oil after its eco fanatics focused Stonehenge with orange powder paint, claiming that the group is ‘funded by Large Oil’.
Members of the general public tried to intervene, combating campaigners Rajan Naidu, 73, and Niamh Lynch, 21, as they ran as much as the traditional monument yesterday.
Video footage confirmed two individuals carrying white shirts with the slogan Simply Cease Oil, approaching the stone circle with canisters and spraying orange powder paint.
The group later stated of the assault: ‘The orange cornflour we used will quickly wash away with the rain, however the pressing want for efficient authorities motion to mitigate the catastrophic penalties of the local weather and ecological disaster is not going to.’
However Harry Potter creator Rowling reposted this on X, including: ‘Public opinion’s undoubtedly shifting, principally in the direction of the conclusion that you just’re funded by Large Oil.’
One particular person tried to halt the protest by Simply Cease Oil on the Stonehenge stones yesterday
Harry Potter creator JK Rowling has mocked Simply Cease Oil after activists focused Stonehenge
One other X person then replied to Rowling’s publish, saying: ‘I do not perceive why they thought this might win anyone over.’
And Rowling added: ‘Let’s not goal anybody or something remotely answerable for local weather change. Let’s assault a singular historical monument to which everybody’s vastly hooked up, by the way endangering uncommon lichen that solely grows there’.’
It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described it as a ‘ disgraceful act of vandalism to one of many UK’s and the world’s oldest and most necessary monuments’, whereas Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer branded the group ‘pathetic’.
In a reference to inexperienced vitality entrepreneur Dale Vince, Mr Sunak added: ‘Simply Cease Oil ought to be ashamed of their activists, and so they and anybody related to them, together with a sure Labour Social gathering donor, ought to challenge a condemnation of this shameful act instantly.’
Rajan Naidu, 73, and Niamh Lynch, 21, ran as much as the stone circle at round 12pm yesterday
Mr Vince’s Ecotricity agency gave Labour £1.5million based on the Electoral Fee information for the primary quarter of 2024.
The inexperienced vitality industrialist additionally reportedly gave one other £1million to the Opposition social gathering the day after the Normal Election was referred to as, taking his whole donations to £5million.
He has beforehand donated to Simply Cease Oil, though final yr he stated he was diverting his funding to a marketing campaign to encourage voter registration.
Nevertheless, Mr Vince acknowledged that he didn’t help yesterday’s protest. He stated: ‘Since Rishi Sunak has requested me personally to remark, I’ll. I do not help what JSO did at the moment, it is that straightforward.
‘However there are far worse actions we may deal with, way more dangerous ones, like pushing two million youngsters and their households into poverty. That is what Sunak and the Conservatives have executed with their two-child cap on advantages.
Different members of the general public tried to assist a girls wrestle the canister off the protesters
‘One in three of our youngsters now reside in poverty in our nation. That is my definition of a shameful act, and one deserving of all our condemnation – it has mine.’
Sir Keir stated: ‘The harm executed to Stonehenge is outrageous. Simply Cease Oil are pathetic. These accountable should face the complete power of the legislation.’
However Vitality Secretary Claire Coutinho accused Labour of ‘fake outrage’ at Simply Cease Oil and claimed the Opposition’s web zero coverage had been ‘dictated by fanatics’ within the environmental protest group.
Conservative minister Simon Hoare joined the refrain of criticism, saying: ‘The total weight of the legislation is required. I might incarcerate them on an outdated oil rig.’
And fellow Tory Alex Stafford stated: ‘It is completely disgusting – these senseless vandals don’t have any appreciation for our historical past and heritage. All they will do is destroy relatively than create.’
Rajan Naidu and Niamh Lynch had been arrested on suspicion of damaging the monument
Nick Kendrick, 55, who has been a Stonehenge tour information for greater than 30 years, stated: ‘There are 79 completely different species of lichen which develop on these rocks.
‘These lichen are alive and assist shield the stone and (they) will certainly have been harmed by this idiotic stunt.’
Wiltshire Police stated officers had attended the scene and arrested two individuals.
A spokesman for the power stated: ‘At round midday, we responded to a report that orange paint had been sprayed on among the stones by two suspects.
‘Officers attended the scene and arrested two individuals on suspicion of damaging the traditional monument. Our inquiries are ongoing, and we’re working intently with English Heritage.’
English Heritage chief government Dr Nick Merriman stated this morning that there gave the impression to be ‘no seen harm’ to Stonehenge.
Dr Merriman instructed BBC Radio 4’s At this time Programme: ‘It is obscure and we’re deeply saddened about this vandalism, however we have been actually touched by the messages of sympathy and help we have had.
‘Our specialists have already managed to scrub the orange powder from the stones as a result of we had been actually anxious about what would occur in the event that they bought in touch with water.
‘Up to now, there appears to be no seen harm. The positioning is open to the general public once more and for the solstice tomorrow.’
Discussing the motion by Simply Cease Oil, Dr Merriman stated: ‘It is vandalism to one of many world’s most celebrated historical monuments.
‘We want individuals would channel their protests away from cultural heritage websites, museums and galleries as a result of we really feel that does not truly assist their trigger, and causes enormous upset and disruption to the operation of those necessary websites.’
It comes after English Heritage stated yesterday that specialists had been assessing the ‘extent of the harm’ on the stones.
Stones had been coated within the substance earlier than the protesters stopped and sat on the grass
A spokeswoman stated: ‘Orange powdered paint has been thrown at various the stones at Stonehenge.
‘Clearly, that is extraordinarily upsetting and our curators are investigating the extent of the harm. Stonehenge stays open to the general public.’
Senior druid and pagan priest, King Arthur Pendragon, stated he ‘completely’ disapproves of the protest and that the group’s actions ‘alienate any sympathy’ for his or her trigger.
Mr Pendragon, who’s standing as an unbiased parliamentary candidate for the world, stated: ‘Stonehenge is a residing working temple at occasions of celebration and pilgrimage such because the summer time solstice and, as a widely known protester myself, I completely disapprove of such behaviour as demonstrated by these individuals who do nothing to boost and all the pieces to alienate any sympathy anybody has or had for his or her trigger.’
Members of the general public had been seen making an attempt to forestall the protesters by dragging them away
The pagan priest has beforehand been concerned in a number of protests on the monument and misplaced a authorized problem over a £15 automotive parking cost on the web site in 2017, claiming the payment breached his human rights.
In an announcement, Simply Cease Oil stated its motion was to demand that the incoming UK authorities ought to agree a plan with different governments to finish the extraction and burning of oil, gasoline and coal by 2030.
A spokesperson for the group stated: ‘The UK’s government-in-waiting has dedicated to enacting Simply Cease Oil’s unique demand of ‘no new oil and gasoline’. Nevertheless, everyone knows this isn’t sufficient.
‘Persevering with to burn coal, oil and gasoline will end result within the loss of life of hundreds of thousands. We’ve to come back collectively to defend humanity or we danger all the pieces.
‘That is why Simply Cease Oil is demanding that our subsequent authorities signal as much as a legally binding treaty to section out fossil fuels by 2030.’
Simply Cease Oil protesters sprayed Stonehenge with orange paint of their newest stunt yesterday
The group stated it used orange cornflour paint to spray onto the stones, which it claimed would ‘quickly wash away with the rain’.
Responding to the group’s assertion, Ms Coutinho stated: ‘Labour’s fake outrage on the Stonehenge vandalism would carry much more weight if Simply Cease Oil hadn’t additionally thanked Labour for enacting ‘their calls for’ of their press launch at the moment.
‘We should not enable Britain’s vitality coverage to be dictated by fanatics.’
The incident occurred yesterday at about 12pm, the day earlier than the summer time solstice is well known at Stonehenge, which is on the coronary heart of a World Heritage web site.
Round 8,000 individuals gathered at Stonehenge to mark the longest day of the yr in 2023, with related numbers anticipated at the moment.
The solstice will probably be celebrated from 7pm this night till 8am tomorrow.
An English Heritage spokeswoman stated: ‘It will not be affected, we’re nonetheless planning on having the solstice go forward.’
John Adams, chair of the Stonehenge Alliance group, instructed MailOnline: ‘The Stonehenge Alliance doesn’t condone any motion with potential to break the stones.
‘Our marketing campaign is about defending the World Heritage Website from hurt, particularly the federal government’s present street constructing proposals which have been condemned by UNESCO.
‘This direct motion is unacceptable however is comparatively minor in comparison with the large gash that will probably be lower throughout the World Heritage Website by the tunnel cuttings and which on the western finish will run via a bronze age settlement.
‘It is unhappy that this could occur on the eve of the summer time solstice when tons of of individuals go to Stonehenge to have a good time its majesty and photo voltaic alignment and for some this web site has religious which means.
‘Simply Cease Oil is just not a part of the Stonehenge Alliance and while we share their deeply held considerations in regards to the local weather disaster, we do not help direct motion with the potential to trigger harm to the megaliths.’
In an announcement launched by Simply Cease Oil, Miss Lynch, a pupil from Oxford, stated the continued burning of fossil fuels was resulting in ‘loss of life and struggling’.
‘It is time for us to consider what our civilisation will depart behind – what’s our legacy?’ she stated.
‘Standing inert for generations works effectively for stones – not local weather coverage.’
Mr Naidu, who is known to be a Quaker from Birmingham, added: ‘Both we finish the fossil-fuel period, or the fossil-fuel period will finish us.
‘Simply as 50 years in the past, when the world used worldwide treaties to defuse the threats posed by nuclear weapons, at the moment the world wants a Fossil Gas Non-Proliferation Treaty to section out fossil fuels and to help dependent economies, staff and communities to maneuver away from oil, gasoline and coal.’
Have you learnt the lady who tried to cease the assault? E mail: [email protected]
