LONDON — Stonehenge monuments that have stood for thousands of years appear unscathed after climate protesters were arrested for spraying orange paint on them, an official said Thursday.
Workers cleaned the stones and the roughly 4,500-year-old monument was visibly undamaged, said Nick Merriman, the chief executive of English Heritage.
“It’s difficult to understand and we’re deeply saddened,” Merriman told BBC Radio 4. “It’s vandalism to one of the world’s most celebrated ancient monuments.”
The UNESCO World Heritage Site site reopened and was expected to host thousands of revelers celebrating the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, early Friday.
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Stonehenge was built on a windswept plain in southern England in stages starting 5,000 years ago. Its origin and purpose remain somewhat of a mystery though the stone circle aligns with the summer solstice sunrise and winter solstice sunset, drawing crowds of spiritualists, druids and sun worshippers.
A 73-year-old man and 21-year-old woman were released on bail Thursday after being arrested a day earlier on suspicion of criminal damage, damaging an ancient monument and deterring a person from engaging in a lawful activity.