Greenpeace activists could face criminal charges after publicity stunt

Greenpeace activists may face criminal charges after they undertook a publicity stunt that could have permanently damaged the Nazca Lines World Heritage Site.

Newly-released footage shows just how much damage they left behind when the protesters arranged yellow letters to form the message "Time for change! The future is renewable, Greenpeace"on the site.

In the video, Peru’s Deputy Culture Minister, Luis Jaime Castillo, explains the extent of damage that occurred.

"When you step on it, you simply break the patina and expose the bottom surface," he said.

"How long does it take for nature… to again create a patina? Hundreds of years? Thousands of years? We really don't know."

From the drone footage you can see where the Greenpeace letters were laid out and where the activists walked.

When archaeologists visit the site they wear special protective pads on their shoes, a standard practice that Greenpeace did not follow.

Castillo told the Guardian that prosecutors have filed charges of attacking archaeological monuments - a crime punishable by up to six years in prison.

Source: io9