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Grand National Protesters Plead Not Guilty to Public Nuisance

18 Animal Rising campaigners who attempted to enter Aintree racecourse during a 2023 protest are appearing in court this week charged with public nuisance.


A female protester wearing black is carried by four police officers
A Grand National protester is carried away by police
  • The defendants were arrested at Aintree on 15/4/23 while campaigning against the Grand National, attempting to scale fences in order to access the racetrack. 118 people were arrested on the day, their actions delaying the race by around 15 minutes. [1]

  • Today (06/11/24) four defendants pleaded not guilty to public nuisance at South Sefton Magistrates’ Court, and five defendants at Liverpool Crown Court also pleaded not guilty to the same charge.

  • A further nine defendants are due to appear in court tomorrow, 07/11/24, also charged with public nuisance.

  • Three horses died over the course of the 2023 Aintree event [2]. On average, a horse dies every other day on British race tracks [3].


Animal Rising has said their actions “helped shine the spotlight onto our broken relationship with animals and the natural world.”


Orla Coghlan, Animal Rising spokesperson, commented:

“While horses continue to suffer in British racing, we will be calling for an end to this abhorrent “sport.” The protests at the Grand National hit a nerve and continue to impact the industry to this day. The sheer level of support that we’ve had shows this message has resonated with the public - nobody wants to see horses suffer and die. We need to see an immediate end to this dying industry.”

Spokespeople for Animal Rising are available for further comment. Call our press office  +44 1225 296691 or email press@animalrising.org  


Animal Rising is a social movement campaigning for a safe ecological future. The group primarily calls for the transition to a secure and sustainable plant-based food system, alongside a mass rewilding programme.


ENDS


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