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Protestors attacked at illegal fox hunts

Hunt Saboteurs Association | 17.09.2005 17:17 | Animal Liberation | South Coast

At the Essex and Suffolk Hunt, a hunt protestor's land rover was rammed by a horsebox. Hunt staff also attacked the vehicle and its 8 occupants.

Release date: 17 September 2005. For immediate release

PROTESTORS ATTACKED AT ILLEGAL FOX HUNTS

Anti-hunt protestors claim that in incidents at two hunts this morning (Saturday 17 September), police ignored fox hunts flouting the Hunting Ban as they carried out cub hunting activities. In both incidents protestors were attacked.

At the Essex and Suffolk Hunt, held at Normans Farm, Great Bromley, a hunt protestor's land rover was rammed by a horsebox. Hunt staff also attacked the vehicle and its 8 occupants. Two of the protestors sustained injuries to the head and ribs. Later hounds from the hunt were put through a field of beet. This was a common practice in cub hunting before the ban and would be unnecessary, let alone unwise, if the hunt were following a false trail and
were avoiding chasing foxes. Protestors who were at the scene suspect that a fox was being hunted in the crops and that the hounds killed an animal. They claim that police obstructed them from getting closer. The huntsman, off his horse, was seen leaving the field with what looked like an animal's corpse. Some animal remains were retrieved from the field and have been taken to a vet for analysis.

Police temporarily detained one protestor as he attempted to get closer to gather evidence. Police seized video taken by the protestors. The protestors are due to make statements to police about the attacks they suffered.

At the Crawley & Horsham hunt in Sussex, an anti-hunt protestor's windscreen was smashed with a riding crop. The incident occurred close to the hunt's kennels at West Grinstead within 5 minutes of 10 protestors from Sussex and Surrey arriving to record illegal hunting with video cameras. Protestors at the scene claim that the hunt were illegally hunting as if the ban was not in place. The hunt has a history of violence against protestors and is supported by, amongst others, Tory Shadow Defence Spokesperson Nicholas
Soames. Protestors claim that police told them that they would log the windscreen incident but were not interested in the allegations of illegal hunting.

Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) spokesperson Nathan Brown said "It is outrageous that police forces are allowing illegal hunting to continue. We feel it is no coincidence that those same forces have a history of over zealous policing against protestors. The police should be upholding this law the same as any other."

Photographs of the vehicle with a windscreen smashed at the Crawley & Horsham Hunt available on request.

Further information
Nathan Brown. HSA Press Officer 07815 313181
Crawley and Horsham Hunt Master, Kim Richardson 01403 741212
Essex and Suffolk Hunt Chairman, George Paul DL 01473 601920
Essex and Suffolk Hunt Master, James Buckle 01449 741521

Hunt Saboteurs Association Press Office
www.huntsabs.org.uk
All press enquiries - Tel: 07815 313181
BM HSA
London
WC1N 3XX
Other enquiries 0845 4500727 (24hr ansaphone)

Hunt Saboteurs Association
- e-mail: info@huntsabs.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.huntsabs.org.uk

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

The Law on Hunting / protesting

17.09.2005 17:44

Your report leads me to think that fox hunting has become a protected species (by the cops) and protesting has been outlawed. Hardly surprising when you take into account that it is the sport of the ruling classes.

basil brush


A case of the pot calling the kettle black

18.09.2005 10:24

Strikes me as a tad hypocritical where a group of protestors go along to violently disrupt a hunt, get a slap back from the hunters and the hunt followers, then cry like babies that have had their rattles taken away.

Hunting is hardly the most serious item on the agenda for protest. Perhaps if people didn't waste time arguing against something that represents a natural instinct and concentrated more on combating the real problems society faces, such as corrupt government, poverty, the errosion of civil liberties etc.. then things might change for the better.

Observer


hypocritical?

19.09.2005 17:29

How is it hypocritical?

sabs don't violently disrupt hunts, they take non violent action to save lives using tactics that aren't 'violent' like using sprays, calls etc

would you call getting ridden into a hedge a 'slapback?' hunt sabs have died and sustained injuries are a current occurance. Of course you'll get a reaction if you're trying to stop someone doing something they want to do, but we should be in solidarity with hunt sabs, not the rich guys on horses, who choose sick entertainment over lives.

natural instinct? fox hunting is no way natural, i won't patronise you with why... and what about those 'real problems'? who decides those? when is one life worth more than another?

i'd think taking direct action to save lives would be high on the agenda.

go vegan


Natural instinct

19.09.2005 18:08

Fox hounds have been bred to chase and kill foxes, so yes it is their natural instinct. My pet dog has chased a fox in the past on a walk and i've had it since a puppy and never trained it to kill anything.

I think fox hunting is a bit stupid with all the red coats and shite, but I wouldn't say that stopping it would 'save lives.' To my knowledge hunts hardly ever catch a fox. And if they couldn't use dogs they'd just carry on shooting them anyway.


no vegan


Animal rights activists involved in other campaigns SHOCK!

19.09.2005 22:53


Observer, you may not have realised this having never been involved in a demonstration, strike, direct action, etc, but hunt sabs are generally interested in other issues as well as animal rights. Please take a seat while you recover from the shock, when you hear that hunt sabs are also interested in human rights. Go along to an anti-war march, picket or peace camp, and you will find individuals who also get out of bed ridiculously early on Saturday mornings to protect animals against the most cowardly, vicious side of human 'nature'.
Amazing, huh?

Space Invader


the big picture

21.09.2005 15:00

"concentrated more on combating the real problems society faces, such as corrupt government, poverty, the errosion of civil liberties etc.. then things might change for the better. "

Surely the fox hunting debate is an illustration of all these problems?
Decades of campaigning for a ban, and the majority of the public in favour of one, yet repeated bills thrown out by unelected, overprivelidged lords - the battle for a fox hunting ban represents a victory of ordinary people over those in power with vested interests.
Working class blood sports, such as badger baiting and dog fighting were banned years ago, yet 'upper class' fox hunting is allowed to continue - a blatent example of the divide between rich and poor in this country.
As for civil liberties, wasn't it Michael Howard with his desire to please his fox hunting, land owning friends who first invented Aggravated Tresspss in 1994 - paving the way for more and more draconian legislation to counter legitimate protest?
It seems to me that its only people who are not passionate about the suffering of other species that fail to see the wider implications of animal exploitation and abuse, and how entwined it is with greed and corruption. Animal rights campaigners see this clearly.


thinkaboutit


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