1 of 2 | Revelers participate in the summer solstice gathering at Stonehenge in 2018. Despite telling people not to visit the monument this year, crowds gathered at the site. Organizers pulled a live-feed of the sunrise offline. File Photo by WIll Oliver/EPA-EFE
June 21 (UPI) -- Though people were advised not to travel to Stonehenge for the annual viewing of the sunrise on the summer solstice, a crowd gathered on the site Monday, prompting the live video to be shut down.
English Heritage said safety was a concern as it halted the video feed about 4:52 a.m. GMT. Before the stream ended, the video showed a crowd of about 100 people gathered at the Neolithic monument in Wiltshire. The crowd was seen holding a banner reading "Standing for Stonehenge."
Normally, up to 30,000 people would gather at the site on the solstice to watch the dawn break. But with the English government delaying the easing of lockdown measures into July, English Heritage encouraged people to watch its live streams instead.
It was the second year the event was held virtually.
Host Ed Shires said the organization was "disappointed" in the people who "have chosen to disregard our request not to travel to the stones."
"It is disappointing to see that happen, but unfortunately in those kinds of situations, we have to put the safety of our staff members first, and that's why we have had some interruption this morning," he told The Guardian. "We have been told by police that people have now been dispersed and the situation is under control."
The live feed resumed around 5 a.m., showing cloudy skies.
According to British Heritage, the layout of the Stonehenge is positioned in relation to the solstices, and celebrations of the summer solstice have taken place for millennia.
Stonehenge is open to the public. Visitors can buy timed tickets in advance on English Heritage's website. The website noted that the site would be closed all day on Monday.
