Hundreds of people celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge after the historic site was defaced by Just Stop Oil eco-fanatics

Hundreds of people have gathered to celebrate the summer solstice at Stonehenge – just 24 hours after the historic site was defaced by Just Stop Oil.

In a tradition dating back thousands of years, Druids and pagans joined a colorful mix of sun worshipers to celebrate the longest day of the year at the ancient Neolithic site in Wiltshire.

Stonehenge is a monument built on the line of the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset.

During the summer solstice, the sun rises behind the Heel Stone, the ancient entrance to the Stone Circle. Sunbeams are then channeled towards the center of the monument.

It is believed that solstices have been celebrated at Stonehenge for thousands of years – many people travel to the ancient site from all over the world. The word solstice is derived from the Latin words sol – ‘sun’ – and sistere – ‘to stand still’.

Hundreds of visitors walked to Stonehenge while enjoying a beautiful sunset in the stone circle. One couple even got married to mark the special night – sealing the moment with a kiss as the crowd cheered.

Hundreds of sun worshipers enjoyed a balmy evening at Stonehenge to mark the solstice

Hundreds of people gather in the stones, including families with young children on their shoulders

In a tradition dating back thousands of years, Druids and pagans joined a colorful mix of sun worshipers

This year’s solstice comes just 24 hours after Just Stop Oil blatantly desecrated the historic site

Crowds greeted the moment the sun set and many will wait for the sun to rise again.

Solstice officials mark the beginning of astronomical summer — and this year it fell on June 20. It will bring longer days with brighter evenings for all of us.

This year’s solstice at Stonehenge comes after the historic site was desecrated on Wednesday by Just Stop Oil eco-protesters with orange cornmeal.

A 73-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman were released on bail yesterday after being arrested a day earlier on suspicion of criminal damage, damaging an ancient monument and deterring a person from engaging in lawful activity.

Just Stop Oil sparked a major reaction after footage was released of the eco-clowns shooting orange from a fire extinguisher at one of the vertical stones.

People gathering at the location were heard shouting ‘stop’ and one person intervened, running towards serial eco-activist Rajan Naidu and grabbing his arm. As the person struggled to pull him away from the monument, another man joined the fray and struggled to loosen the paint can.

The second protester, identified as Oxford University student Niamh Lynch, 21, managed to spray three stones before being stopped.

Just Stop Oil said the paint was made from cornstarch and would dissolve in the rain.

Workers cleaned the stones and the roughly 4,500-year-old monument was visibly undamaged, Nick Merriman, the chief executive of English Heritage, said yesterday.

A woman places her hand on the ancient rocks on Thursday evening

Revelers gather at Stonehenge, Wiltshire, the evening before the summer solstice

Thousands of people around the world usually gather at Stonehenge for the solstice

A woman takes a photo while sitting on a friend’s shoulders at Stonehenge

Walter Ross marries Laura Cummings as the sun sets at Stonehenge

The couple share a kiss as others cheer and take photos

Celebrating the summer solstice at Stonehenge as the sun sets

Revelers watch the sunset at Stonehenge on Thursday evening

People gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire at sunset as they wait to welcome in the summer solstice

On the solstice, the sun rises behind the entrance to the stone circle and rays of light are channeled towards the center of the monument

A woman raises her arms as the sun sets at Stonehenge

“It is difficult to understand and we are deeply saddened,” Mr Merriman told BBC Radio 4. “It is vandalism to one of the world’s most celebrated ancient monuments.”

Mr Merriman said experts removed the orange powder from the stones because they were concerned about how it would react to water.

The Stonehenge demonstration was quickly condemned by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who called it a ‘disgraceful act of vandalism’.

His main opponent in next month’s election, Labor leader Keir Starmer, called the group “pathetic” and said the damage was “disgraceful”.

Just Stop Oil sparked further outrage when an activist downplayed the stunt, claiming it was “a bit of orange dust on a rock.”

When the sun set, the moon was clearly visible

People gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire at sunset

Visitors have their photos taken during the walk to the stones at Stonehenge

Hundreds of sun worshipers walk together to Stonehenge

Just Stop Oil supporter Ben Larsen, 26, from the Wirral, who has previously been convicted of traffic obstruction, tried to justify their actions.

During an interview on Sky News, presenter Matt Barbet asked him: ‘Why these tactics in particular, which largely amount to criminal damage?’

And Larsen replied: ‘Well, you can call them criminal damage if you like, it’s a bit of orange dust on a rock that has withstood 5,000 years of British weather.’

Barbet then said, “Come on, that’s disingenuous. It is not a rock, it is an ancient monument that is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.’

But Larsen replied: ‘It’s a beautiful old monument, but this is orange dust. It’s orange dust on stone. All we have to do is wait for it to rain and all this will be washed away.

‘And these have been the eighteen wettest months on record. So we don’t even have to wait very long. It is unwise to concern yourself with tactics.’

The group struck again on Friday when it took credit for spray-painting private jets at Stansted Airport.

Jennifer Kowalski, 28, and Cole Macdonald, 22, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after gaining entry to the airport and damaging the private jets.

Just Stop Oil said pop star Taylor Swift’s plane had landed at Stansted just hours earlier, but MailOnline can confirm her plane was not one of the two targets.