I'm not sure how many have heard yet about Stonehenge, but Stop Oil protesters vandalized it on June 19, which is right before Litha [AKA one of the major ritual days held at the site where Pagans gather to witness the solstice sunrise. This year it's June 21, so pretty sure that's now canceled] I'll link an article on it below. I wanted to let people know, also interested in people's opinions since I haven't found any Pagan articles on it yet [Though, I'm about to jump on TikTok and I'm fairly certain it'll be on there] They claim it was orange cornstarch, it won't damage the statue, and and will wash off in the rain. However, they're still testing to see if there was any damage.
Personally, I'm upset, partially the destruction of historic monuments, but mainly the disrespect to Pagan holy sites right before we gather to celebrate the solstice. I'm interested to see if the media touches on that fact, ignore it entirely, or turn it into a joke [I'm looking at you, Fox News. I still remember what happened last time]
Personal reaction to such things? ... Most of what I -want- to say would probably get me re.oved from communities like this. And put on to a watch list or two.
...Then I calm down, get the rage out of the system, and Ijust feel an empty sort of sadness. These people somehow truly believe this is the best way to make a difference. They are blind. Completely blind to just how badly they have failed to connect action and consequence.
They try to claim they are 'just trying to bring awareness'... Like people throwing soup at the Mona Lisa to yell about rights to a healthy diet. Or paint to protest climate change. All they are bringing attention to is themselves. There is no connection between a painting and the environment. Stonehenge has nothing to do with oil industry. It is just a place chosen because people will be upset by it. They think, in some genuinely insane way, that people who are passed at them will hear what they have to say after. It is an illogical, irrational, and ineffectual leap made by a pathetic mind desperate for an excuse.
Personally I think it would be the best reaction for local authorities to just quietly arrest those involved, charge them appropriately for damage/defacement of a historical landmark, and shuffle them away to their sentence quietly and with no fanfare. Don't allow them any actual attention. Not even negative attention. Process them and kick their buttons to the curb like any other teenager tagging a building wall.
They do it for the attention; refuse to give it to them.
I agree. I'm still upset with the Van Gough thing [a rant I won't go on] They just want attention and we shouldn't give it to them, but at what point do we go "Okay, you're getting worse, we need to address the behaviour." Personally, they need more than a slap on the wrist to make them stop, but I'm curious where that last straw is.
Yes, we should be concerned about the environment. We should reduce our reliance on fossil fuel/petrol and find more eco-friendly options [and those eco-friendly options aren't perfect, but they're better] what upsets me is how they go about it. Throwing soup on paintings makes people angry at you , they do not help your cause. Defacing cultural, historical, and religious monuments results in people turning on you. It's the same with PETA, shock value activism to get people talking about their organizations while not providing solutions. [Or, in PETA's case, the solution is "become Vegan and don't have pets" which isn't really a solution]
We should find ways we can reduce our carbon footprint in our personal lives, but also in our community and country. It's a multi-level problem. Don't use plastic straws is a simple one, but corporations use plastic wrap when they don't need to. Celebrities own private jets to pop over to another country for a slice of cake. Corporations pump gallons of pollutants into the environment every day. Throwing soup on a painting helps how?! If anything, you just took food from a hungry person. A lot of pollution is due to the meat industry [clear-cut rainforests to raise cattle, which cause a ton of C02 because of their digestion. Their feed is mostly corn which also destroys the environment] and while I'm not saying become a vegetarian, being aware of this and reducing the amount of meat you consume can help the environment.
Point is, if they hung a banner that said "Save the environment, go to our website to learn how" it would be more effective than this "performance activism" of theirs. They just want attention, but at some point, we need to say enough. [and before anyone says "free speech" not every country has that, and "free speech" isn't the star in Super Mario where you're invincible. Your freedom to punch me ends when you make contact with my face. There are limitations but those limitations are enforced so sparingly it all feels pointless]
