LONDON: Two environmental protesters who spray paint on Britain’s Stonehenge in June were charged with crimes related to alleged damage to the prehistoric megalithic monument, prosecutors said on Thursday (November 14th).

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had authorized police to charge the protesters, Naidu Rajan, 73, and Niamh Lynch, 22, and they would appear in court on December 13.

In a separate statement, police said the pair, from environmental group Just Stop Oil, were charged with destroying or damaging a protected monument with orange powder paint they had sprayed on it and causing a public nuisance.

Stonehenge, one of Britain’s most visited tourist sites, located in southern England, has spiritual significance and attracts thousands of revelers, spiritualists and tourists during the summer solstice – the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.

Members of the public were able to walk around the stone circle until 1977, when it was fenced off due to concerns about damage caused by a sudden increase in visitor numbers.

Just Stop Oil gained prominence in the UK for disruptive environmental protests, with its activists closing major roads, disrupting cultural and sporting events and even throwing soup at a Van Gogh painting.