Climate Protestor Dumps 1,000 litres of Unknown Black Substance on Melbourne Cup Racecourse

Vandal dumps 'oily sludge' on Flemington ahead of Melbourne Cup, an iconic event that stops the nation. Supplied by Extinction Rebellion

A protester had allegedly poured 1,000 litres of an unknown substance onto the Flemington Racecourse hours before the Melbourne Cup began to raise awareness about the global impacts of climate change.

Before the first race scheduled for 10:45 a.m. on Nov. 1, the individual broke into the track at 6 a.m. with a large pump and used a long hose to spray the turf generously with a dark, slimy liquid.

However, despite the disruption, the racing event went ahead after cleaning and repair work to the track by Racing Victoria.

“Stewards deemed the track to be safe, and there was no impact to racing,” RV said. “A police investigation is underway.”

Victoria Police have said they are investigating the incident.

Environmental Movement Endorses Activist

Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion (XR) said the protestor was a friend and “fully endorsed” their support for his actions.

“The racecourse has been tagged here to alert them to this situation, and we hope they will choose the best course of action to ensure no further harm will come to the horses racing,” XR wrote on Twitter.

“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 6 a.m. this morning,” Victoria Police said in a statement.

Flood Wall Blamed for Damaged Homes Around Racecourse

In a video and statement released in a thread on XR’s Twitter page, the protester called out the racing industry over its alleged attitude towards climate change and blamed the Victoria Racing Club for the damage created by recent flooding in Flemington in October.

“This is about Victoria Racing Club choosing to protect their racecourse against the impacts of climate change at the expense of people’s homes and livelihoods,” the statement reads. “Racing elites callously ignored community opposition to the building of their wall, which contributed to the recent flooding of local homes.”

Racegoers arrive during 2022 Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 1, 2022.Martin Keep/Getty Images

The climate activist said that the racecourse’s flood wall was the last straw in a long line of horrors they had come to learn about the industry, including animal rights abuses, political donations, substance misuse, and gambling.

The Victorian Race Club built a 2.5-metre flood wall around the racecourse in 2007 to protect the venue from flooding, and some local residents believe that the wall is why their homes and possessions went under on Oct. 14.

Victoria Racing Club has started a $500,000 fundraiser for flood victims.