Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, May 09, 2025

Grand National: Police to deal 'robustly' with any protest

Grand National: Police to deal 'robustly' with any protest

Police have said they will deal "robustly" with any disruption after a newspaper report about an alleged plot to stop the Grand National.

A Mail on Sunday investigation said the Animal Rebellion group was aiming to "storm security fences" before the main race in Liverpool on 15 April.

They claimed protestors plan to form a barricade across Aintree Racecourse.

Animal Rebellion said they were launching their "biggest campaign" this April.

In a statement, Rose Patterson, from the group, said the Mail investigation was "not going to stop" members from "beginning the crucial conversation about our broken relationship with other animals".

"The Grand National is symbolic of this broken relationship," she added.


'Peaceful action'


Two horses died in last year's Grand National race, which is the climax of the annual three-day racing festival at Aintree.

There have been four fatalities from 356 runners in the nine Grand Nationals raced since safety changes were introduced in 2012.

Animal Rebellion, which calls for an end to horse racing, said: "This April we are launching the biggest campaign to protect animals and the climate this country has ever seen."

They said more than 500 people had "signed up for training to take peaceful action this summer".

In a statement, Merseyside Police said: "We respect the right to peaceful protest and expression of views, but public order or criminal offences will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly."

They added they had been working with The Jockey Club "for a number of months… to ensure that any necessary plans and processes are in place to deal with any incidents that may arise".

Race organisers at The Jockey Club have declined to comment.

Sam Waley-Cohen on Noble Yeats (right) won the 2022 Grand National


Animal Rebellion has risen to prominence in recent months after protests at high-end restaurants, dairy suppliers and laboratories.

They say they want a "plant-based future" and have called for an end to horse racing, animal farming and fishing.

The Mail investigation said more than 100 people have signed up to the attempt to disrupt the Grand National and some activists had conducted two reconnaissance missions around the racecourse.

They claimed the group planned to use ladders to get over the security barrier and to cut through the fence before the main race at the end of the three-day festival.

A key event in the national sporting calendar, the Grand National attracted a peak of 7.5 million viewers in the UK and more than 12 million bets last year.

There have been small protests outside the course regularly and occasionally individuals have got on the track itself.

In 1993, the Grand National was delayed after an animal rights protest, with the race eventually voided after a number of false starts.

The race was postponed in 1997 when 60,000 people had to evacuate the course following an IRA bomb threat minutes before the start.

It was eventually held two days later.

This year's event coincides with the 34th anniversary of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which led to the deaths of 97 football fans after a crush at a game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's ground.

Race organisers said they plan to hold a commemoration for the victims at the course on the day of the Grand National.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
×