Boxing Day Carnage in the Countryside

Just days after Paul O’Shea, terrier man for the East Essex Hunt was arrested for torturing a fox with a pitchfork, foxhunting had the highlight of its annual calendar – Boxing Day. Having so recently been once again exposed for the violent illegal thugs they are and on the one day that the majority of the media pays any attention you’d expect the hunts to be on their best behaviour. Clearly the memo didn’t get through. Many hunts have been kicked out of their prestigious town centre meets by councils sick of their blatant disregard for the law but at those that still went ahead chaos reigned.

In Wiltshire Avon Vale supporters launched a violent attack on sabs at the hunts meet in National Trust owned Lacock. Punches and pints were thrown whilst Wiltshire police and Conservative MP James Gray watched on. When the demo was over sabs headed to the nearby Royal Artillery hunt who chased and killed a fox on MOD land despite sabs brave efforts to save the poor animal.

Another demonstration took place in Lewes against the Southdown and Eridge Hunt and local media reported that hundreds of demonstrators were in attendance to show their disgust for this barbaric event. Again pro-hunt thugs showed their true colours by attacking demonstrators.

At the Hursley Hambledon Hunt South Hampshire Hunt Sabs were blocked in and had their windows smashed by hunt supporters. The incident has been reported to Hampshire police who are investigating.

The Puckeridge Hunt in Hertfordshire chased and killed a fox despite the efforts of sabs. The body was retrieved by North London Hunt Sabs and the crime has also been reported to the police.

Further north in Lincolnshire reports have appeared on social media of the Brocklesby Hunt causing chaos on the busy A18 with hunt hounds killed and many cars damaged. No saboteurs were present but locals have taken to Twitter to vent their outrage at the hunts behaviour.

Lee Moon, Spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated:

“Fox hunters’ backs are against the wall and they’re increasingly resorting to violence as the pressure increases. Boxing Day is the most prestigious day in the hunting calendar with the mainstream media watching on and still these violent thugs can’t behave themselves for a few hours.

Hunts are increasingly being denied access to their prestigious town centre Boxing Day meets and we expect, following today’s sickening behaviour, more councils to follow suit and ban the hunts.”