Advertisement

Animal Rights Activists Demonstrate at Epsom Derby Despite Arrests and Injunction

Animal rights activists protested at the Epsom Downs Racecourse on Saturday, June 3, despite 19 arrests on the morning of the races.

Footage recorded by campaign group Animal Rising shows activists speaking outside the racecourse grounds.

Surrey Police said on Saturday that they had carried out 19 arrests “in connection with planned criminal disruption at the Epsom Derby Festival.”

Animal Rising called the arrests a “police overreach” and vowed to carry out action in spite of new police powers.

The Jockey Club, who own Epsom Downs and other high-profile racecourses in the UK, were granted an injunction against Animal Rising following disruption at Aintree which delayed the race.

Animal Rising were granted a designated area outside the racecourse from which to carry out their action, Sky Sports reported.

Animal Rising are campaigning to start a discussion on animal welfare as it relates to horse racing. Credit: Animal Rising via Storyful

Video Transcript

- You see these beautiful horses run today. Horses do love to run. They don't love to race. Not with someone bouncing on their back whipping them with a metal bit in their mouth used to control their body, where there is a very real risk that they will die today or very shortly after.

If you love animals, you should not be supporting this industry, and you can do better. Come and join us over this side. I know you can hear me. We've got food. We've got games. We welcome you with face paint.

OK, I think I'm going to stop now because I'm starting to get emotional. Thank you so much.

[APPLAUSE]

No, thank you to all of you.

- Wonderful. Yes, so our hearts obviously all go out to the 19 people that have been arrested this morning. And there are, I believe, another two people who were arrested yesterday. But we're here to enjoy ourselves, and we're here to have fun. We have a wheelbarrow race old school style coming up very shortly.

And in the meantime, we're going to have Sophie playing some music. You'll have to bear with us for a minute or two so I can just get her sound sounding as good as I can get it. Oh, and Sophie has a little speech to give, so let's hear it for Sophie. Woo!

[APPLAUSE]

- Hello, friends. I'm going to give a little speech that I wrote and it's about the root causes and the root problems that we're all facing, that every single one of US is facing, and the solution to that. My name's Sophie. I'm an artist and activist. Thank you all for coming today.

I really think it is important that we're all here because there is a problem. Many of us are aware of it. I think it's created by the system that we live in. And then, it also creates that system. The system we all know is capitalism. And it reduces everything to its monetary value, and it relies on individualism.

The problem that we face is separation, division, and isolation. The society that we live in divides us all, in my view, from ourselves, from our own true natures, from each other, from our communities, and from nature and animals. I think that you can feel this alienation inside yourself. It feels like a detachment and emptiness, and it benefits capitalism because that drives consumerism, when you feel empty inside.

The alienation from one another results in the loneliness epidemic that we're living in. And it results in fear and hatred. And it results in us neglecting our responsibilities to care for each other, for all human beings, regardless of where they come from.

And our separation from nature is exemplified by our attitude of domination and extraction towards the Earth and her non-human inhabitants. It's why we're failing in seven out of eight key measures of planetary health. We're so out of touch with how nonhuman life is doing.

The separation in between human and non-human animals and our conception of them as inferior to us allows us to exploit, abuse, imprison, and kill billions of beings each year in the name of profit. Ultimately, some people are profiting from this system. But I think that in the end, everyone, absolutely everyone, suffers. And I think probably, those people who profit suffer in some ways the most because they must feel so alone.

So what is the solution? What do we do? Obviously, the solution is connection. And what connects us? What binds us all in responsibility and commitment to care for each other? It's love.

When we love ourselves, and we love each other, and we love animals, we can't possibly cause them any harm. And in fact, it becomes an imperative to stand in harm's way. Love can be nourished and cultivated because it naturally flows between all living things.

I find it useful to think, when we're trying to think about tangible ways that we can create love in this world, to think of the five love languages. We can give love to ourselves, to each other, and to animals through words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, giving gifts, and acts of service, which is why we're all here today. This is an act of service for those horses inside the Epsom Derby.

We give up our time, our energy, and we either cause disruption and risk arrest, or we stand together and we raise our voices challenging the system by our very presence and our message that we should end industries which rely on exploitation and suffering. In doing so, we're reconnecting with our own true, loving natures. We're reconnecting with each other, and we're forming a community, which is based in love, which I believe has the power to change this broken system. We also are reconnecting and healing our relationship with animals by committing an act of service to them and defending their lives and liberty.

The last thing I'll say is that truth and love are so powerful that we do have the ability to topple all systems of oppression. The establishment which profits from injustice, they know this. And they can only respond with authoritarianism, with private laws, with more police powers, with political trials, and propaganda media. However, none of this has the power to stop good people from doing the right thing.

[APPLAUSE]

For all life and all issues we face, we can, should, and must unite to show what dedicated, non-violent people can achieve when we work together. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE]

- Woo!

- And I'm going to sing one song for you now about what I just spoke about. Thank you so much for listening.

[SIDE CONVERSATION]

- You can all sit there with bated breath, or you can add some more food for a minute while we get this sound going. Just bear with us.

[SIDE CONVERSATION]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

- (SINGING) Ah. Ah.

Yeah, sounds good?

- Yeah.

- All right.

(SINGING) Ah. Ah. There's no greater tool that you have than your voice. Nothing can take it away. You can use it for justice or the freedom of choice. Let no one dictate what you say.

(SINGING) Speak your mind. You're not too young. You know the future's in your hands. No religion, man, or leader can keep you from this stand, of all the wonders, both natural and skyscrapers and mountain peaks. Yeah, none are committed to [INAUDIBLE]. Long live the freedom of speech.

Ah. There's a light shines in the darkness. Let nothing be hidden away, for the power belongs to the people when there's truth in the words that we say. Give me critics and [INAUDIBLE] supporters. Take heed, and open your eyes. Yeah, knowledge is power, and the freedom of press is the power without taking sides.

(SINGING) Speak your mind. You're not too young. You know, the future's is in your hands. No religion, man, or leader can keep you from this stand. Of all the wonders, both natural, from motions from east to the west. And nothing can stop you from pushing the pain. Ah, this is the freedom of press.

Ah. Ah. We have heard that there's strength in our numbers when we gather voices aloud. Use the life that you have to assemble in a peaceful and powerful crowd. We have all heard of [INAUDIBLE] vision. We should always choose love over hate. There is only one war that we believed in, and it's the war between churches and state.

Speak your mind. You're not too young. You know, the future's in your hands. No religion, man, or leader can keep you from this stand. We can always take care of our neighbors. We should gather forth and be kind. Remember, no one can silence the masses. No one can keep you from speaking your mind. And none can silence the masses. No one can keep you from speaking your mind.

[APPLAUSE]

Thank you very much.

- I think that maybe [INAUDIBLE]

- No, let's have another song.

- Do we want another song before the race, or do we want the race first?

- Song!

- All those in favor of song say, yes!

- Yes!

- All those in favor of race say, meh.

- Meh.

- Meh.

- It's tricky to see my screen. That's the problem. Probably better sitting in the shade.

[SIDE CONVERSATION]

[GUITAR STRUMS]

[SIDE CONVERSATION]

- Oh, I'll just introduce this one, actually. This is a very old English folk song. And it's about direct action.

(SINGING) In 1649, St George's Hill, a ragged band they called Diggers came to--

I can't see my screen.

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

[SIDE CONVERSATION]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

(SINGING) 1649, at St. George's Hill, a ragged band they call the Diggers came to show the people's will. They defied the landlords. They defied the laws. They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs.

We come in peace to dig and sow. We come to work the land in common and to make the waste grounds grow. This earth divided we will make home. So it will be a common treasury for all.

The sin of property we do disdain. No man has any right to buy and sell the earth for private gain. By theft and murder they took the land. Now, everywhere, the walls bring up at their command.

They make the laws to chain us well. The clergy dazzle us with heaven or they damn us into hell. We will not worship the God they serve, a God of greed who feeds the rich while poor men starve.

We work together. We need no swords. We will not bow to the masters or pay rent to the lords. We are free men, though we are poor. You diggers all stand up for glory. Stand up now.

Men of property the orders came. They sent the hired men and troopers to wipe out the Diggers' claim, tear down their cottages, destroy their corn. They were dispersed, but still the vision lingers on.

You poor, take courage. You rich, take care. The earth was made a common treasury for everyone to share. All things in common, all people one. We come in peace. The orders came to cut them down. All things in common, all people one. We come in peace. The orders came to cut them down.

[APPLAUSE]

One more?

- Yes!

- OK. [LAUGHS] All right, this one is more gentle and more devotional. And it's about nature.

- Woo!

[MUSIC PLAYING]

(SINGING) Enter the wild with care, my love, and speak the things you see. Let new names take and root and thrive and grow. And even as you travel far from heather, crag, and river, may you, like the little fisher, set the stream alight with glitter. May you enter now as otter without falter into water.

To the sky with care, my love, and speak the things you see. Let new names take and root and thrive and grow. And even as you journey on past dying stars exploding, like the gilded one in flight, leave your little gifts of light. And in the dead of night, my darling, find the gleaming eye of starling. Like the little aviator, sing your heart to all dark matter.

Walk through the world with care, my love, and sing the things you see. Let new names take and root and thrive and grow. And even as you stumble through machair sands eroding, let the the fern unfurl your grieving, let the heron still your breathing, let the selkie swim you deeper, oh, my little silver-seeker, even as the hour grows bleaker, be the singer and the speaker.

And in city and in forest, let the larks become your chorus. And when every hope is gone, let the raven call you home.

[APPLAUSE]

Thank you so much for listening.

- Hey, some wonderful music from Sophie. And what a gorgeous voice. OK, let's wrestle with this mic stand for a bit. So we're having another wheelbarrow race old school style, people on hands, people getting pushed along. If you are interested in taking part, even if you're not in--