Just Stop Oil activists who sprayed Stonehenge with orange powder have been found not guilty of criminal damage.
Rajan Naidu, aged 74, and 23-year-old former Oxford University student, Niamh Lynch had been accused of using two colour blasters filled with cornflour, talc and an orange dye to spray the ancient monument.
Salisbury Crown Court was told the pair – together with a third activist, Luke Watson, aged 36, – targeted Stonehenge as part of an ongoing fossil fuel protest by the Just Stop Oil group.
The attack on the monument took place on on June 19, 2024, the day before the annual summer solstice event at Stonehenge where around 15,000 people were due to gather and celebrate.
Naidu and Lynch, then an Oxford University student, crossed the boundary ropes and trespassed into the area around the monument before launching the attack.
Watson had bought the equipment used in the attack and had driven his co-accused to Stonehenge that morning.
Prosecutors alleged the protest had been “carefully planned” and was filmed by other Just Stop Oil supporters and released publicly afterwards.
Simon Jones, prosecuting, said: “Putting it simply, we say they were all in it together.
“The prosecution say that this is an act of blatant and clear vandalism. The intention is undoubtedly to make a statement.”
Following the attack, Naidu and Lynch, who were both wearing white Just Stop Oil t-shirts, sat down in silence in front of the stones until they were arrested by the police.
The court heard the stones were promptly cleaned, with the costs of removing the powder totalling £620.
Mr Jones added: “Stonehenge is arguably the best recognised and architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world, built around 5,000 years ago.
“The site in Wiltshire is visited by members of the public from all over the world, providing both an education and spiritual experience.
The activists attacked the monument the day before the annual summer solstice event at Stonehenge
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PA
“The stones are a protected ancient monument.”
The three defendants each denied charges of damaging an ancient protected monument and causing a public nuisance on June 19 2024.
They each accepted taking part in the protest and cited in their defence “reasonable excuse” and their rights under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights to freedom of speech and freedom to protest.
The defendants argued it was a peaceful protest, that the rights of others were not “greatly interfered with”, that care had been taken in choosing the type of powder to use, there was no lasting damage to the stones and that protesting about fossil fuels was a legitimate cause.
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