British police announced they had arrested 118 people this Saturday outside Aintree Racecourse, in Liverpool, in north-west England, where animal rights activists were delaying the departure of the famous Grand National obstacle course.
Dozens of protesters from the Animal Rising group attempted to invade the racecourse on Saturday evening to reach the circuit and disrupt the event, but according to a statement from Merseyside Police, most were prevented, despite a 15-minute delay at the start. of the breed.
In total, according to the police, 118 people have been arrested on suspicion of “disturbing the public order”.
According to the Animal Rising group, at least two protesters managed to cling to an obstacle on the track with the clear goal of preventing racehorse deaths, which is common in this discipline.
One horse, Hill Sixteen, died after a fall on the first fence that left him with incurable injuries. This is the third death of a horse in this edition of the event, this weekend.
“Whether for food or recreation, the use of animals and nature symbolizes a relationship that is more than broken,” said Sarah McCaffrey, a student who took part in the demonstration, citing a statement from Animal Rising.
“We need to find ways to love animals that don’t hurt them,” he added.
The race was won by horse Corach Rambler, trained by Lucinda Russell and ridden by jockey Derek Fox.
In 1993, the Grand National was invaded by activists and two false starts led to the annulment of the race result.
Source: DN
