Activists called for protests against the prestigious horse race to demand an end to “animal cruelty for entertainment.”
Three people have been arrested in connection with a plan by animal rights activists to disrupt the prestigious Grand National horse race.
All three were arrested on “suspected conspiracy to cause a public disturbance,” Merseyside police said on Saturday.
A 25-year-old woman and a man were arrested during a protest outside Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, north west England, where the famous steeplechase takes place.
Earlier on Saturday, a 33-year-old woman was arrested in the Greater Manchester area “in connection with possible coordinated disturbance activities” at Aintree, police said. Their names were not disclosed.
Animal Rising had called for protesters to gather outside the racecourse to demand an end to “animal cruelty for entertainment”. The group tweeted a video showing one of its spokespersons being arrested during the protest.
Claudia, one of our spokespersons, has just been arrested for speaking out about the atrocities about to unfold on the track at Aintree. Thank you for trying to protect the horses Claudia. Please sign our petition to cancel the Grand National 📷 https://t.co/cic6k0eiar pic.twitter.com/1CJ5alYaZS
— Animal Rising (@AnimalRising) April 15, 2023
Police said they have been cooperating with race organizers ahead of and during the Grand National Festival, which began on Thursday.
“We are aware of some people planning to protest at the event,” a police spokesman said in a statement.
“This has been taken into account in our plans. We respect the right to peaceful protest and expression, but criminal behavior and disorder will not be tolerated and will be dealt with severely.”
Animal Rising activist Alex Lockwood told British radio station talkSPORT this week that they planned to disrupt the Grand National, arguing that standing outside handing out flyers “never stopped anything”.
The Grand National, one of the biggest events on the British sporting calendar, is considered one of the most dangerous horse races in the world due to the size of the fences.
Changes were made in 2012 to make the track safer, including the softening of some fences, after two horses died in the Grand National that year and in 2011.
Since then, four fatalities have occurred out of 356 runners in the nine Grand Nationals.
Last year, four horses died at the Aintree Festival, including two who were injured at the Grand National.
Another horse, Envoye Special, suffered a fatal injury on Thursday during the Foxhunters’ Chase — over the fences used for the Grand National.