Just Stop Oil activists cleared over Stonehenge protest

Three Just Stop Oil activists who sprayed Stonehenge with orange powder have been cleared of causing a public nuisance.

Rajan Naidu, 74, Oxford University student Niamh Lynch, 23, and Luke Watson, 36, were acquitted following a 10-day trial at Salisbury Crown Court.

They had denied all charges of damaging an ancient protected monument and causing a public nuisance, after targeting Stonehenge as part of an ongoing fossil fuel protest by the direct action group.

The trio 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.

Ms Naidu, Ms Lynch and Mr Watson had been accused of using two colour blasters filled with cornflour, talc and an orange dye to spray the monument in a protest on 19 June 2024.

The court was told the trio targeted Stonehenge the day before last year’s summer solstice where around 15,000 people were due to gather and celebrate.

Mr Watson had bought the equipment used in the attack and had borrowed his grandmother’s petrol car to drive the co-accused to Stonehenge that morning.

The defendants argued that 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.