Boxing Day Press Release

Hunt saboteurs have been attacked by both the East Kent with West Street and the Ashford Valley Tickham fox hunts this morning. A supporter of the East Kent has been arrested for GBH after a sab was hospitalised with a suspected broken eye socket.

Demonstrations had taken place at the East Kent’s hunt meet at their kennels in Elham, moved there from the center of the village due to pressure from locals, and at the Ashford Valley’s meet in Tenterden. In Elham there were over 100 demonstrators, and only 40 hunt riders. Kent police had turned up in force to keep the groups apart.

After the hunt had left, a group of drunken hunt supporters attacked the sabs and their vehicle as they tried to leave (all attackers had been drinking with the hunt at the kennels earlier, and had made threats of violence to demonstrators). During the attack, a sab was thrown in front of a passing car which was deliberately swerved at him, and then punched & kicked repeatedly by two or more men, causing significant injuries to his face.

Luckily as more hunt support turned up to continue the attack, the police arrived, and arrested one of the perpetrators but others fled the scene.

Video of the attack has been passed to Kent Police, and more arrests are expected in due course.

Meanwhile in Tenterden a 19 year old and a female demonstrator were both punched in the face by jeering drunken hunt supporters, and anti-hunt demonstrators had to be escorted to safety by the police (who only provided two officers!). A band that had turned up to play at the demo were attacked and had their equipment destroyed. One supporter was arrested at the scene.

Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated: “Even on their highest profile day, when the eyes of the world are on them, the hunting community can’t control themselves. Frustrated that public opinion is turning more and more against them and they’re no longer welcome at their traditional high profile Boxing Day meets they resort to violence against those who oppose them. These injuries pictured here are the reality of Boxing day hunts rather than the chocolate Box images distributed by the Countryside Alliance and their supporters.