A protest by Oxford Vegan Action against the reintroduction of greyhound racing in Oxford prompted lively debate among readers.

The protest was staged on Cornmarket Street on Sunday against the reintroduction of greyhound racing at Oxford Stadium.

Campaigners held up banners and claimed the sport was cruel.

The protesters were joined by Oxford city councillors Lucy Pegg and Paula Dunn.

The demo, which lobbied shoppers took place between 11am and 3.30pm.

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Kevin Boothby, promoter at Oxford Stadium, has secured a 10-year lease from Galliard Homes to bring back greyhound racing to Oxford, and hopes to open the gates next March.

Speedway, which has a large following is another sport which could return to the stadium, along with other activities.

Oxford Vegan Action is an Oxford-based animal rights group which hopes to raise ‘awareness and to educate people about Veganism and the reality of animal agriculture’.

Some readers backed the plans for a return to racing at the stadium while others supported the vegan group’s stance.

One reader even joked that he would like to see ‘a pack of hungry greyhounds eating a vegan’.

Another made the tongue-in-cheek suggestion that ‘vegans should be raced instead of greyhounds’.

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DANE PAINTIN: “Me and son enjoyed helping out tidying up the stadium today I can’t wait for it to reopen.

“We need places like this to be open.”

SALLY SIMMONDS: “ Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame. You give vegans a bad name.”

JACK LUCAS: “Sally Simmonds you did a funny.”

GEORGE O’CONNOR: “Did someone tell them our Greyhounds love their vegetables?”

CLAR AINLE: “Some people just love protesting and campaigns against stuff.

“They love the negativity and drama.

“They twist the truth to create misinformation and propaganda and usually try shaming and coercion methods to promote their ideology.

“That’s because their arguments don’t stand up to scrutiny.”

TOBY WOODS: “Of course they do.”

PAT BUSTIN: “They are only racing the greyhounds not using them in a cooking competition.”

CALLUM BENNETT: “Probably want to head to the coasts and protest about the over fishing instead.. greyhounds are born too run.”

KEVIN PERESI: “Looks like the Oxford Mail is promoting the protest against Oxford stadium.. I thought you were supposed to be impartial ..but obviously not.”

TONY STEPHENS: “Whenever I went racing, no-one offered me a greyhound sandwich.

“Besides which, there is a good network for homing retired racers. When I walk my dog, the fields are busy with former competition greyhounds.”

DARREN COX: “Tell them to go away,”

LINSEY AVERY: “Of course you erroneously just forgot to mention the racing people who also attended with their retired dogs to speak to the public and give them the other side of the story?”

KALEM PAINTIN: “Why on earth is anyone protesting against greyhound racing?”

CRAIG SIMMONS: “Take a look at theguardian.com/.../activists-renew-calls-to...Activists renew calls to end greyhound racing as 400 die despite lockdowns.”

MICHAEL AUSTIN: “We should race vegans in place of greyhounds I reckon I’d love to see six of them in the traps.”

LUCY TALBOT: “(Is the protest) because we eat a lot of greyhounds?”

GLYN SAVILLE: “Does that mean we can protest against them eating lettuce and tomatoes as it might hurt their poor veg feelings.”

MARK ROGERS: “Thought they would be having a Sunday roast.”

RICKI BLOOMFIELD: “Protesting against horse racing next.”

SPENCER MATTHEWS: “I suppose they got there in diesel buses/ trains etc.”

ANDY MORRIS: “I would love to see a pack of hungry greyhounds eating a vegan.”

PAT BUSTIN: “Andy Morris - they wouldn’t be very tasty, lentils and veg.”

LINDA FRADGLEY: “Andy Morris sorry - only the best grub for greyhounds !”