Grand National braced as ‘300-plus’ protesters plan to disrupt big race

Aintree racecourse is preparing to face the most significant and potentially disruptive protests against the Grand National for many years on Saturday, when the campaign group Animal Rising plans to employ tactics used by Just Stop Oil protesters in recent months in an attempt to prevent the world’s most famous steeplechase from going ahead.

The group are aiming to have 300 protesters storm the track in a bid to prevent the race – which is due off at 5.15pm BST – from taking place.

It is 30 years since the Grand National was declared void for the only time in its 184-year history, when serious flaws in the starting and recall procedures were aggravated by a delay to the start as a small group of protesters were removed from the track.

Animal Aid has staged a small protest outside Aintree station in subsequent years, which is also expected to go ahead on Saturday, but Animal Rising aims to cause more widespread disruption both around and possibly inside the racecourse.

“We plan on using the slow-march tactics that Just Stop Oil have used in recent months to obstruct the access road to Aintree throughout the morning,” Nathan McGovern, a spokesperson for Animal Rising, said on Friday.

“As we get towards the Grand National race itself, we plan on some 300-plus people to peacefully make their way towards the entrances to Aintree, towards the fences and walls at the front of the racecourse, to attempt to make their way over and through and eventually on to the track before the Grand National begins, to prevent the race from starting.”

McGovern said that Animal Rising’s protest at Aintree will be the first of a series of actions over the summer months.

“Animal Rising plan on similar disruption to other large events in the