Stephen Colbert's support for 'climate action' after activists spray paint Stonehenge backfires as he's accused of 'abetting'

Stephen Colbert complained about the weather in New York before saying he is all for 'climate action'
PUBLISHED JUN 22, 2024
Stephen Colbert said he supports climate action after climate activists spray painted Stonehenge (Getty Images, Screengrab/ABC News)
Stephen Colbert said he supports climate action after climate activists spray painted Stonehenge (Getty Images, Screengrab/ABC News)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Stephen Colbert threw a subtle shade at environment activists for spray painting Stonehenge. The comedian addressed the incident during the opening monologue of 'The Late Show' on June 20. 

According to BBC, the 5000-year-old landmark near Salisbury, Wiltshire, was sprayed with orange powder paint by two protesters who are part of the 'Just Stop Oil' campaign group on Wednesday, the day before celebrations were scheduled to begin for the Summer Solstice. Wiltshire Police confirmed the arrest of the persons involved on the suspicion of damaging the ancient monument. Stonehenge is cataloged as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is protected by law.

WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: The full moon sets behind Stonehenge on April 27, 2021 in Amesbury, E
Stonehenge is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (Getty Images)

The group 'Just Stop Oil' shared in a statement that two protesters were Niamh Lynch, a 21-year-old student from Oxford, and Rajan Naidu, a 73-year-old from Birmingham. They further assured that the orange powder paint was cornflour and it would "wash away with rain."

Stephen Colbert's take on the Stonehenge incident

Addressing the incident during his monologue, Colbert stated, "Across the pond, in the UK, folks gathered at Stonehenge, where, yesterday, to protest the UK’s use of fossil fuels, two climate activists spray-painted the landmark orange."

"Now, look, I support climate action, and that makes me want to go buy a Hummer," he quipped with apparent sarcasm. "Good job, fellas!"

"But don’t worry, fellow 'henge-heads, because apparently, the paint will wash away in the rain, and the site remains open, according to the group that manages Stonehenge," he added.



 

The incident has reportedly united both the ruling and opposition parties of the country in their response. While UK Prime Minister and Tory leader Rishi Sunak condemned the incident as a “disgraceful act of vandalism,” leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer said the damage was "outrageous" and described 'Just Stop Oil' as "pathetic."

Internet says Stephen Colbert is 'guilty of abetting' climate vandals 

Right-wingers over the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) mocked Colbert for his comments, as the following tweets demonstrate.

"Oh he has a heart! Finally! These are your people that did this Colbert," wrote a user.



 

"He is guilty of abetting," stated another.



 

"I'm amazed that he doesn't just love it because he's a lefty to the max," expressed a third.



 

"The liberals are now disgusted by their own. What a clown world," quipped a fourth user.



 

"Gotta pick the craziest far left thing to make fun of so it doesn’t make him look biased when he’s going off on Trump," commented a fifth.



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

President Donald Trump highlighted rising 401(k) balances, a strong military and what he called historic drops in crime
16 minutes ago
Trump pushed back on reports suggesting federal funds were tied to a renaming proposal, while reiterating concerns about potential project overruns
56 minutes ago
Bush highlights character, restraint, and peaceful power transfer in Presidents’ Day message
1 hour ago
The memorandum with UK Energy Sec Ed Miliband focused on offshore wind, research collaboration, and expanding access for firms like Octopus Energy
1 hour ago
Florida representative vows to work with DOJ to expose full scope of Epstein scandal
3 hours ago
Civil rights groups asked a judge to restrict how ballots and voter rolls taken in a January search could be used, citing privacy and rights concerns
5 hours ago
Nancy Pelosi is reportedly leveraging her donor network to elevate Newsom’s national profile ahead of a potential 2028 run
13 hours ago
Hillary Clinton said the Trump administration’s Ukraine stance is 'disgraceful' and called forcing a deal with Vladimir Putin 'shameful'
14 hours ago
Maher criticizes Democrats for prioritizing global appearances while Republicans question their focus on domestic security issues
14 hours ago
Oversight Committee seeks answers on Andrew’s ties to Epstein as new documents suggest possible misconduct during UK trade role
15 hours ago