The total number of those arrested in connection with the alterations that occurred in the Grand National horse race held on Saturday, the start of which was delayed by a group of animal lovers, has reached 118, British police confirmed.
Although the Merseyside Authority initially detained nine people who had gained access to Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool (UK), it later confirmed that its agents had stopped 118 people for “criminal mischief and public order offences”, some of whom had appeared before the race. Others are linked to the protests that blocked the M57.
Accidents delayed the start of the event by 14 minutes, which was scheduled to be 4:15pm GMT, in which the horse “Quarach Rambler”, ridden by jockey Derek Fox, won.
In the eventful event, the horse “Hill Sixteen” died as a result of a fall at the first hurdle.
In a brief statement, the police said that “after 5pm (local time), a large number of protesters attempted to enter the race.”
“Most of them were prevented from breaking the fences that defined it, but nine individuals managed to enter the race and were later arrested by the agents,” the body explains.
Television footage showed some of the activists trying to tie themselves to the fence before the police removed them, while others tried to climb onto the ground or attach themselves to the security fence.
The Animal Rising group, which had previously demonstrated outside the venue, confirmed on social media that its activists approved of the event.
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