British authorities expressed their displeasure on Wednesday when two environmental activists vandalized Stonehenge by spraying orange paint on it. According to a statement issued by Wiltshire Police, the incident took place on Wednesday afternoon, leading to the arrest of the two individuals involved, as reported by USA Today.

“At around noon, we responded to a report that orange paint had been sprayed on some of the stones by two suspects,” police said. “Officers attended the scene and arrested two people on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument.”

Two individuals from Just Stop Oil, namely Niamh Lynch, a 21-year-old student from Oxford, and Rajan Naidu, a 73-year-old from Birmingham, were apprehended as reported by the BBC.

The group posted a video of the incident on X, formerly Twitter, saying “2 people took action the day before Summer Solstice, demanding the incoming government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030,” according to USA Today.

The organization released a press statement, stating that “the current action has been taken several days after the Labour party’s manifesto reaffirmed their commitment to cease all future permits for new oil and gas, if they come into power.” Additionally, the organization mentioned that the orange powder paint was produced using cornflour and would be easily removed by rain, as reported by the BBC. Despite the temporary nature of the paint, its impact will endure.

“Orange powdered paint has been thrown at a number of the stones at Stonehenge,” officials posted on the monument’s official X account.

“Obviously, this is extremely upsetting and our curators are investigating the extent of the damage. More updates to follow but the site remains open,” according to the post.

Mike Pitts, an archaeologist and the author of the book “How to Construct Stonehenge,” expressed his concern over the defacement of Stonehenge, as reported by the BBC.

“The monument has been fenced off for decades and the megaliths’ surfaces are protected,” he said. “They are sensitive and they are completely covered in prehistoric markings which remain to be fully studied and any surface damage to the stones is hugely concerning.

“A rich garden of life has grow on the megaliths, an exceptional lichen garden has grown. So it’s potentially quite concerning,” he said.