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Radcliffe Camera in Oxford daubed with paint in Just Stop Oil protest

Adam Grassly Just Stop Oil protest at Radcliffe CameraAdam Grassly
Just Stop Oil supporters daubed the building with its trademark orange paint

The Radcliffe Camera building in Oxford has been daubed in orange paint by environmental activists.

Oxford University said the main entrance and exit to the reading room were closed because of a Just Stop Oil protest shortly after midday.

The group said student supporters painted the building in protest at the government's plans to licence new oil and gas projects.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

Thames Valley Police said it received reports of criminal damage on Radcliffe Square in Oxford at about 12:25 BST.

The force said a 21-year-old man, from Oxford, and a 18-year-old man, from Norwich, had been detained and remained in police custody.

Radcliffe Camera
The university said the building's entrance and exit were closed following the protest

The university said the building had been "vandalised with orange spray paint".

"The university does not support illegal action, including any unlawful protesting, and may, within its powers, take any steps it considers appropriate against any student guilty of such behaviour," it said.

"Access to the library has been temporarily redirected and steps are under way to remove the paint."

In a statement released by Just Stop Oil, a protester said they were calling on "university leaders all over the country to make a public statement calling on the government to end new oil and gas projects".

Last month the Rosebank oil field, the UK's largest untapped oil field estimated to contain up to 300 million barrels of oil, was given the go-ahead by regulators.

Thames Valley's police and crime commissioner (PCC) Matthew Barber called the protest action "mindless vandalism".

"Protest is vitally important to our democracy, but this isn't protest, it is simply criminal damage and I think such tactics have long ago stopped persuading anyone and instead alienate the majority," he added.

The building, known as the Rad Cam, was built in the 1730s and is used as a reading room by the Bodleian Library.

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