Protesters Spray Orange Powder on Stonehenge Leaving People Outraged

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Climate change is a dire threat to our continued existence, and with the governments and corporations most responsible for driving it treating this crisis in a very laissez-faire manner, people are resorting to desperate measures to bring more attention to our imminent danger. The fate of human civilization is potentially on the table here, and protestors are willing to go very far to make that point.

But a recent demonstration by a pair of impassioned climate activists has people debating over where to draw the line. A couple of protestors from Just Stop Oil, a group known for their vandalization tactics, stirred up outrage after vandalizing England's iconic Stonehenge landmark.

Eyewitness footage shared by @cbsnews shows two climate protestors running up and spraypainting Stonehenge with a red-orange powder, a crowd of shocked tourists yelling at them in the background. Several tourists and tour guides tackled the vandals, but not before the rocks had been marred by the powder. The protestors were subsequently arrested.

Related: Man Claims to Have Rescued 'Stonehenge' Visitor From Mysterious 'Energy Bubble'

Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage site , is thousands of years old, and many initially feared that the activists' vandalism may have irreparably damaged the monoliths. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Just Stop Oil claimed that their powder would wash off with the rain, and according to the BBC , the powder was successfully removed from the stones using blown air- no harm done. Still, that hasn't quelled the outrage the act drummed up!

The Controversial Tactics of 'Just Stop Oil'

This isn't the first time Just Stop Oil has ignited outrage with their shocking protest tactics. The group has become notable for using substances like orange paint and tomato soup to "vandalize" iconic works of art and architecture. While most of their protests have resulted in little to no significant damage to the artworks themselves, their shock tactics are attention-grabbing and outrage inducing. Prior to the Stonehenge stunt, Just Stop Oil ignited the public's ire by throwing tomato soup at Van Gogh 's "Sunflowers" and gluing themselves to the frame. According to The Guardian , the glass protected the painting itself , but the glue did minor damage to the frame.

I "get" why Just Stop Oil members target great artworks in their quasi-vandalism. It brings a lot of eyes to their cause, and it calls on the public to reflect on a disturbing contradiction: what worth will artistic and architectural "masterpieces" have if climate change kills everyone who values them? The debate that many have is whether or not their tactics are effective. Just like PETA's polarizing tactics have fueled a lot of unfair stereotypes about vegans, many believe that JSO's shock tactics are not only unhelpful, but actively alienate people against the environmentalist cause. In The Independent, Sophie Church acknowledges that while climate change is a serious existential threat, the issues JSO is protesting " demand long-term solutions , not short-term fixes," and in their distasteful tactics, they "position themselves as public nuisances, and demean their objectives in the doing so [sic]."

But even critics who find JSO's tactics unpleasant acknowledge that they may have some value. Sam Light, writing for Waging Nonviolence , notes that there exists "a large body of academic literature arguing that radical activism could be beneficial ." He cities studies which suggest that disruptive radical protest tactics can drive awareness and support for more moderate groups in the same movement, which in turn helps these groups reach more moderate, achievable goals that drive real systemic progress.

You can find JSO's tactics offensive and unhelpful - I'm not a big fan of them myself - but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, engage with constructive groups that are doing the groundwork to make important systemic change happen. If you need a launching point, the Climate Action Network is a global network of thousands of civil organizations driving collective, sustainable action to combat the global climate crisis- no vandalism required.

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