On Saturday 3rd June, a supporter of Animal Rising thwarted security to gain access to the track at Epsom Down Racecourse moments before the race kicked off. For doing so he was charged with causing a public nuisance and was sent to prison on remand after being denied bail on 5th June. Today his solicitor, Jenny Winters of Birds, appeared on his behalf at Guildford Crown Court for a bail hearing. Judge Lees rejected the appeal claiming that prison was the only way to prevent reoffending, this means he will likely remain at HMP Wandsworth until his next court appearance on 6th July.
Claudia Penna Rojas, an Animal Rising spokesperson, said:
“Ben’s history of standing up to injustices and fighting for all life is being used against him to keep him in prison without a trial. This troubling erosion of democracy has now become the norm, just yesterday we saw Parliament pass amendments to the Public Order Act via a Statutory Instrument which bypassed the usual scrutiny of having to face a vote from MPs. On top of this, a different peaceful protestor is currently facing deportation from the UK for trying to save lives and avert catastrophe.
“Despite authoritarian crackdowns, people who care deeply about doing the right thing will continue to do all we can to help. We absolutely must have these conversations about our broken relationship with other animals and nature to ensure a safe and secure future for all life”.
Photos from the police raids over the weekend of the Epsom Derby were revealed previously that showed substantial property damage [2].
31 arrests were made in total and all but one of those have now been released on bail pending further investigation.
Animal Rising is a social movement to create a new relationship with all beings and give us a chance 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.
