Stonehenge has been sprayed with orange paint by Just Stop Oil activists demanding the UK phase out fossil fuels.

LONDON — Environmental activists sprayed many famous archaeological stones in Britain Stonehenge The site in orange material on Wednesday, demanding that the next UK government be chosen in a National elections “Sign a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030,” protest group Just Stop Oil said on July 5.

A video clip posted by the group showed two activists running towards the prehistoric stones listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List with what looked like fire extinguishers and then spraying them with what the group said was “orange paint powder.”

Just Stop Oil said activists had “decorated” the stones to draw attention to the British government’s “failure to commit to defending our communities”.

Bystanders intervened to try to stop the activists, and Wiltshire Police later intervened He said Two people were arrested “on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument.”

“Stop Oil supporters, along with citizens from Austria, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and Switzerland, will join the resistance this summer if their governments do not take meaningful action,” a spokesperson for the group said in a statement.

English Heritage, which manages the Stonehenge site, told CBS News that the incident was “deeply disturbing and our curators are investigating the extent of the damage,” but the monument remained open to the public.

The protest came a day before the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, when crowds traditionally gather at Stonehenge to celebrate and watch the sunrise appear through the ancient stones.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Conservative Party incumbent who opinion polls show is far behind his main rival, issued a few weeks before the election, Short response to protest on Wednesday, calling “Just Stop Oil” a “disgrace.”

As the country’s leader, Sunak postponed plans to introduce a ban on the sale of new petrol-powered vehicles from 2030 to 2035, and pledged that if re-elected, he would not impose any new energy efficiency rules on UK landlords or homeowners.

“Stonehenge at Solstice is all about celebrating the natural world – but look at the state it’s in! We all have the right to live lives free of suffering, but the continued burning of oil, coal and gas brings death and suffering to the planet. The scale is unparalleled “Just Stop Oil said. “It is time for us to think about what our civilization will leave behind us – what is our legacy? Standing idle for generations works well with stones – not climate policy.”

The group has organized a series of protests over the past year, spraying famous artworks with a similar orange substance and even blocking traffic on the main M-25 motorway that circles London.