Three Just Stop Oil activists have been cleared of causing a public nuisance after spraying orange powder on Stonehenge the day before the summer solstice in 2024. Rajan Naidu, 74, Niamh Lynch, 23, and Luke Watson, 36, were acquitted by a jury at Salisbury Crown Court after arguing their protest was justified due to the climate emergency.
The court heard the trio used 'colour blasters' to spray the prehistoric stones in Wiltshire, costing £620 to clean with no lasting damage. The prosecution argued the protest did not need to occur at Stonehenge, which had no connection to climate change. However, the judge directed jurors to consider whether a conviction would be a proportionate interference with the defendants' rights to freedom of expression and protest.
Judge Dugdale stated: 'If individuals disagree with what our government is doing on certain matters they are entitled to protest.' He added that for a conviction, jurors had to be sure it would be a proportionate interference with human rights. The jury found the activists not guilty.
Outside court, Naidu described the public nuisance legislation as 'highly repressive' and 'retrogressive', comparing it to treatment of suffragettes. All three expressed pride in their action and each other. The judge thanked the jury, noting the case raised important issues about balancing protest rights with protection of a world heritage site.
The jury also commended site worker Man Chu Zah for his 'brave and selfless' intervention during the protest. The judge said he would recommend him for a high sheriff's award. Francesca Cociani, the activists' lawyer, said the public nuisance charge should never have been brought and that the verdict upheld the right to peaceful protest.
