Golden Gate Fields Files Lawsuit Against Animal Rights Protestors

Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, Calif. has filed a lawsuit against the animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere in an effort to ban those activists from the racetrack grounds, reports The Mercury News. The track is also seeking $25,000 in damages, according to the suit filed March 9 by San Francisco-based firm Allen Matkins, Leck Gamble, Mallory & Nastia in the Alameda County Superior Court.

Four members of the group chained themselves together on the racing surface and delayed races for approximately six hours on March 4, an action which also led Berkeley Public Health Department officials to temporarily shut down a COVID-19 vaccination clinic located at Golden Gate.

Albany assistant city manager Isabelle Leduc said four individuals were arrested without incident at about 6:30 p.m. PT on the evening of March 6, cited for trespassing, and released. The individuals named were: Omar Aicardi (43) of Modesto, Rocky Ming Fan Chau (32) of San Francisco, James Nicholas Crom (29) of Oakland, Rachel Christina Ziegler (28) of Oakland.

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— Golden Gate Fields (@GGFracing) March 5, 2021