UK Climate Protesters Cover Stonehenge In Orange Paint Ahead Of Election

A pair of climate protesters were arrested Wednesday at the U.K.’s Stonehenge monument after they sprayed the 5,000-year-old rocks with orange paint, British police said.

The protesters, 21-year-old Niamh Lynch and 73-year-old Rajan Naidu, are part of Just Stop Oil, a group that says it wants the British government to “establish a legally binding treaty to stop extraction and burning of oil, gas and coal by 2030” alongside other nations.

With a national election set for July 4, Just Stop Oil is demanding that the incoming British government take action to “phase out” fossil fuels within a six-year period.

The paint is allegedly cornstarch-based, and is supposed to wash away in the rain, although the area is not expected to see rain before the weekend.

The monument receives a swell of visitors each summer solstice. This year’s solstice is Thursday.

Lynch and Naidu were stopped by concerned bystanders, who took their canisters of paint, leaving them to sit cross-legged in front of the monument.

“Our enquiries are ongoing, and we are working closely with English Heritage,” Wiltshire police said in a statement, referring to the charity that manages historic sites around the U.K.

Just Stop Oil issued a statement Wednesday acknowledging that the Labour Party has committed to stopping future oil and gas drilling licenses if they win.

“However, we all know this is not enough,” a spokesperson said. “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.”

Lynch, a student from Oxford, said in a statement: “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