Eco-fanatics caused outrage yesterday by defacing Stonehenge connected the eve of the summertime solstice.
Just Stop Oil activists utilized occurrence extinguishers to spray orangish pulverization overgarment connected astatine slightest 3 of the past stones earlier calmly sitting down cross-legged successful beforehand of the world-famous site.
Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer showed a uncommon agreed beforehand successful their condemnation of the stunt, which raised caller questions astir the historically intimate narration betwixt the Labour Party and Just Stop Oil.
The Prime Minister described it arsenic a 'disgraceful enactment of vandalism', portion the Labour person branded the radical 'pathetic'.
Yet Labour was accused of 'faux outrage' aft JSO boasted of readying its enactment 'days aft the Labour Party recommitted to halting each aboriginal lipid and state licences' – a argumentation the activists assertion was influenced by their extremist road-blocking tactics.
Just Stop Oil activists usage occurrence extinguishers to spray orangish pulverization overgarment connected Stonehenge
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described it arsenic a 'disgraceful enactment of vandalism'
Mr Sunak rounded connected large Labour backer Dale Vince, who, until past year, bankrolled the biology protestation movement.
He said: 'This is simply a disgraceful enactment of vandalism. Just Stop Oil should beryllium ashamed of their activists and they and anyone associated with them, including a definite Labour enactment donor, should contented a condemnation of this shameful enactment immediately.'
Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho added: 'Labour's faux outrage astatine the Stonehenge vandalism would transportation a batch much value if Just Stop Oil hadn't besides thanked Labour for enacting 'their demands' successful their property merchandise today.
We indispensable not let Britain's vigor argumentation to beryllium dictated by fanatics.'
Labour has accepted much than £5 cardinal from Mr Vince, including £1 cardinal aft the predetermination was called.
The greenish vigor tycoon supported JSO from its instauration and donated astatine slightest £340,000 earlier cutting disconnected the currency past October.
Sir Keir has antecedently travel nether occurrence for refusing to instrumentality immoderate wealth donated by Mr Vince and has vehemently denied claims that the Ecotricity brag wields immoderate power implicit Labour policy.
Mr Vince said: 'Since Rishi Sunak has asked maine personally to comment, I will. I don't enactment what JSO did today.'
But the adjacent narration with Mr Vince, who Sir Keir met conscionable days earlier revealing a program to artifact each caller lipid and state licences successful the North Sea past twelvemonth – coupled with the party's erstwhile absorption to toughening up laws astir disruptive protests – has near questions implicit whether Labour tin beryllium trusted to ace down connected specified behaviour.
Major Labour backer Dale Vince (pictured), who, until past year, bankrolled the biology protestation movement
Labour has accepted much than £5 cardinal from Mr Vince (pictured astatine a Just Stop Oil protestation successful 2023), including £1 cardinal aft the predetermination was called
Members of the nationalist were seen trying to forestall the protesters by dragging them away
Protestors Rajan Naidu (left) and Oxford pupil Niamh Lynch (right) calmly beryllium down cross-legged successful beforehand of the world-famous site
Sir Keir tweeted yesterday: 'The harm done to Stonehenge is outrageous. Just Stop Oil are pathetic. Those liable indispensable look the afloat unit of the law.'
Footage of the shocking incidental astatine noon yesterday shows horrified onlookers shouting 'no' portion trying to resistance the vandals distant from the 5,000-year-old site.
Police arrested 2 protesters – named by the radical arsenic Rajan Naidu, 73, from Birmingham, and Oxford pupil Niamh Lynch, 21 – connected 'suspicion of damaging the past monument'.
Lynch said successful a statement: 'Stonehenge astatine solstice is each astir celebrating the earthy satellite – but look astatine the authorities it's in! Standing inert for generations works good for stones – not clime policy.'
Naidu, who is understood to beryllium a Quaker, added: 'Either we extremity the fossil-fuel era, oregon the fossil-fuel epoch volition extremity us.'
Around 8,000 radical gathered astatine Stonehenge to people the longest time of the twelvemonth successful 2023, with akin numbers expected today.
English Heritage said it expected the solstice turnout to spell up from 7pm until 8am tomorrow.
Conservative curate Simon Hoare joined the chorus of disapproval past night. 'The afloat value of the instrumentality is needed. I would incarcerate them connected an aged lipid rig.'
Fellow Tory Alex Stafford said: 'It's perfectly disgusting – these mindless vandals person nary appreciation for our past and heritage. All they tin bash is destruct alternatively than create.'
Sir Keir tweeted yesterday: 'The harm done to Stonehenge is outrageous. Just Stop Oil are pathetic. Those liable indispensable look the afloat unit of the law'
Nick Kendrick, 55, who has been a Stonehenge circuit usher for much than 30 years, said: 'There are 79 antithetic taxon of lichen which turn connected those rocks.
'These lichen are live and assistance support the chromatic and (they) volition decidedly person been harmed by this idiotic stunt.'
Just Stop Oil said: 'Continuing to pain coal, lipid and state volition effect successful the decease of millions. We person to travel unneurotic to support humanity oregon we hazard everything.'
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