EXTINCTION Rebellion activists protested against plans for the Stonehenge tunnel at the World Heritage Site on Sunday (March 21).
Describing themselves as "a coalition of conscious Earth Protectors", the 'Stand for Stonehenge' group said it went to the stones with "love and prayer, delivering messages from all corners of the United Kingdom".
They want to see all construction work on the proposed A303 road and tunnel development stopped.
The group says the protest was peaceful, respectful, and Covid-compliant.
Extinction Rebellion at Stonehenge
Standing for Stonehenge, in the face of what the group calls "damaging infrastructure development", campaigners from Sacred up Earth Activism, the Stonehenge Protection Camp, Earth First and Extinction Rebellion took to the area just off the A303, with banners reading: “Defend the Sacred”, “Save Stonehenge”, “Protect Blick Mead”, “No New Roads”, “Stop RIS2” and “Protect our Heritage”.
Extinction Rebellion at Stonehenge
A statement said: "The proposed road and tunnel development at Stonehenge is at the intersection of many different campaigns, for the protection of our heritage, our sacred lands, the resting places of our ancestors and our environment.
"Whilst prevented by the authorities from reaching the Henge, a peaceful and respectful procession, with hand painted banners and a "Dragon" symbolising the Spirit of Earth awakening, demonstrated these many concerns."
Extinction Rebellion at Stonehenge
Hatherley, 51, from Somerset said: "Digging up our ancestors and destroying our sacred sites - is this really the legacy we want to leave?"
Indra, another of the Earth protectors, said: “Stonehenge comes of a time when people revered nature not profit.
"For thousands of years people have gathered here to celebrate life, we need this place now more than ever to bring us courage and certainty more than we need to get to our destination 10 minutes earlier on a billion-pound expressway.”
A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: “At around midday yesterday (21/03) a group of around 25 protestors, from a number of different campaign groups, attended Stonehenge, but did not trespass on the stones.
“Officers attended and engaged with the protestors, advising them that their gathering was in breach of the Government’s Covid-19 restrictions and urged them to disperse, which they did.
“The gathering was peaceful and no arrests were made, but we will be carrying out further enquiries, including viewing body-worn camera footage, to determine if it is appropriate to issue retrospective fixed penalty notices.
“We would continue to remind the public that while we would normally have a duty to facilitate legal and peaceful protest, these kinds of gatherings are currently illegal due to the ongoing pandemic.”
Extinction Rebellion at Stonehenge
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