Grand National protest ‘the first of a campaign over the summer’

PA Sport Reporters
April 13, 2023 12:57 pm

Aintree showpiece on Saturday is the target of Animal Rising.

A spokesperson for Animal Rising has said its planned protest at Aintree on Grand National day is “the first of a campaign of events over the summer”.

Earlier this month The Mail On Sunday reported more than 100 activists had signed up to take part in a demonstration on April 15 with the aim of disrupting the big-race itself, which sees a full field of 40 head to post at 5.15pm.

The report said protesters planned to form a human barricade across the track at Aintree after sneaking into the event with ladders and bolt cutters.

Merseyside Police has said it has “a robust policing plan in place” for the meeting, and speaking to TalkSPORT, Alex Lockwood of the Extinction Rebellion offshoot confirmed a protest will begin at 9.30am outside the course.

Stewards on an entrance wait for racegoers during day one of the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse (Peter Byrne/PA)

He said: “We want to go there and stop the harm and what we are asking people to do is come and join us from 9.30am outside of the gates and protest, as we are allowed to do, and see if we can disrupt the race.

“We don’t believe that horse racing is right and we want to stop the harm.

“We don’t think it is right that business goes on as usual when animals are being harmed. We are sorry for the disruption but we stand by our morals. We believe horse racing is a dying industry – we’re helping it into retirement.

“We could stand outside and be polite and hand out fliers, but that has never stopped anything. We need to have a massive public conversation about our relationship with animals and this is the first of a campaign of events over the summer to really bring attention to, and shine a spotlight on, our treatment of animals.”

Officials at Aintree said they recognised the right of the protestors to peacefully demonstrate and outlined their willingness to work with the relevant authorities to ensure this can happen.

“We’ve obviously been in regular meetings over the past six months about this and it has focussed a little bit of minds in the last few weeks,” said Dickon White, North West Regional Director for Jockey Club Racecourses who own the Merseyside track.

“But we absolutely appreciate if people want to come here and peacefully demonstrate, then they have the right to do that and we will work with the police and security teams to allow that to happen.”