Humans should not be allowed to keep dogs and cats as domestic pets, according to a spokesman from Animal Rising.
The group are gearing up to cause mayhem at the Epsom Derby on Sunday with “one thousand” protesters promised.
Speaking on GB News, a spokesman for the group told Nigel Farage that people should not only be barred from keeping horses as pets, but dogs and cats should be thrown into the same category.
Nigel Farage asked activist Nathan McGovern: “You ultimately want to stop us not just have domesticated horses, but dogs and cats as well?”
The activist responded: “Yes. Not for our use.
“We’re a nation of people that love animals. It’s why we have cats and dogs in our home.
“We also live in a country that has a barren landscape devoid of biodiversity, devoid of animals, that I would love to see return.
“I’m sure a lot of people would love to see it return.
Animal Rising protester wreaked havoc at the Grand National
PA
“There is cross-party support for things like re-wilding where we would see animals in abundance in nature meaning we wouldn’t have to go to a racetrack or zoo to see them.”
Farage probed McGovern further on the matter, asking: “In the Nathan McGovern world, there would be no pets?”
The activist said in response: “No, but there would be animals for us all to see in nature.”
The Extinction Rebellion subsidiary group sparked controversy by delaying the Grand National by 14 minutes in April.
Members attempted to get onto the track and glue themselves to fences, resulting in the arrests of 188 eco activists.
Animal Rising have now informed the Jockey Club and the British Horseracing Authority that it will seek to prevent races at The Derby on June 3.
A spokesperson for The Jockey Club, which runs Epsom Downs Racecourse and The Derby Festival, told the Daily Mail: “We never comment on the specifics of our security arrangements, but clearly part of planning for any event is to ensure that all eventualities are covered and illegal protests like the one we saw at the Grand National at Aintree will not be tolerated.
“The safety and security of our racegoers and all our participants, whether equine or human, will always be our number one priority and any attempt to disrupt our events will be dealt with swiftly and decisively.
“Our security teams will have a strong and visible presence, controlled centrally via extensive CCTV coverage of the site, and we will be working closely with Surrey Police who will be present on the day.”
