Featured Image Credit: Extinction Rebellion Victoria/Twitter
Topics: Australia
Stewart Perrie
A self-described 'problem gambler' has dumped 1,000 litres of 'oily sludge' on the racetrack at Flemington ahead of the Melbourne Cup.
The activist said while they have a bunch of problems with the Victorian Racing Club (VRC), they chose to sneak onto the track this morning (Tuesday November 1) for climate reasons.
They released a statement via Extinction Rebellion Victoria, where they explained the motive behind the move.
"This is about Victoria Racing Club, and the toxic industry of which they are leaders, choosing to protect their racecourse against the impacts of climate change at the expense of people's homes and livelihoods," they said.
"That wall should never have been built, what is known only as a racecourse to them, is a crucial natural floodplain that would have lowered flood levels in homes if not for the interests of the powerful racing and gambling industry."
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The protestor is referring to the controversial wall that helped protect Flemington Racecourse when Melbourne was being battered by heavy rain and rising floodwater recently.
The 2.5 metre-high wall was constructed back in 2007.
Many criticised the venue for not allowing the water to spread across the land, which could have alleviated conditions in nearby properties.
The protestor added: "For me, this act of corporate negligence and callous disregard is the final straw in a long line of horrors I have now come to know about this industry.
"Between the animal rights abuses, the timely political donations and the well-documented impacts of gambling, the CEO's that run this industry have a lot to answer for.
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"Even if they can clean this sludge from their racetrack today, I hope that they pay proper dues to the local flood victims who will be cleaning their homes for months to come."
News Corp says Racing Victoria Stewards have inspected the affected area of the racetrack and declared it's safe for the horses to run.
Extinction Rebellion said it fully supports the protestor's act.
In a statement, the climate activist group said: “The privileged in our society are on notice that as crises deepen and we do not see justice for communities, individuals and animals, ordinary people will be [driven] more and more to undertake these sorts of desperate actions.”
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However, Victoria Police are now hunting down the suspect.
A statement from authorities said: "Melbourne Criminal Investigation Unit detectives are investigating after unknown offenders have broken into a racing facility in Flemington and poured an unknown substance over a portion of the track about 6am this morning."
The VRC told LADbible in a statement: "The Victoria Racing Club is disappointed by the actions of protesters who caused some minor damage to the racetrack early this morning. Protesters poured an unknown fluid onto the surface of the track near the 1500m area.
"The track was immediately cleaned and repaired. Stewards deemed the track to be safe and there was no impact to racing. Police are investigating the incident."