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Animal rights activists say they’re “not ruling out” protests and disruption on the Royal Ascot assembly.
The Animal Rising group stated it could not goal Ascot if racing leaders accepted an invite for a televised debate in regards to the morals and way forward for the game.
However racing authorities have confirmed they’re refusing that request.
It means disruption on the occasion, which is because of be attended by King Charles II, is now extra possible.
The five-day fixture begins on Tuesday, 20 June.
Animal Rising stated “if the racing trade actually believes in what they’re doing, they need to haven’t any issues about defending it publicly”.
However Julie Harrington, chief govt of the British Horseracing Authority, responded by saying: “We’ll by no means enable British horseracing to be coerced into any exercise by threats of protests.”
Animal Rising has carried out disruptive protests at conferences such because the Grand Nationwide in April, when 118 individuals had been arrested after delaying the beginning of the race.
On the Epsom Derby final month, greater than 30 protestors had been arrested, together with one who jumped the fence onto the observe whereas the race was in progress.
Harrington added: “Animal Rising have proven by its reckless actions on the Epsom Derby that its public guarantees can’t be trusted.
“It has demonstrated it’s ready to commit doubtlessly illegal acts and to straight threaten the protection of horses and other people to generate publicity round their wider goals.
“Spokespeople for the game have already taken half in nicely over an hour of televised debate since April.
“All through these debates the message was clear – that British racing is a sport which is pleased with its welfare report, which supplies an unparalleled high quality of life for the 20,000 horses that compete annually, and which continually works to minimise the degrees of avoidable threat.”
The BBC understands greater than £100,000 has been spent on extra safety plans for Ascot after the earlier disruption brought on by Animal Rising.
A Royal Ascot spokesperson stated: “We’ve in the present day contacted Animal Rising to supply them a devoted space to protest from throughout Royal Ascot and to ask that they use this relatively than finishing up any exercise that poses a risk to human and equine security.”
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