© 2024 Hunt Saboteurs Association
This week hunt saboteurs from across the country have shut down a major hare hunting event in Northumberland.
Monday saw over sixty sabs storm into the meet near the remote village of Ingram. Sabs then immediately blockaded the exit route to prevent them hunting elsewhere. A day-long standoff then ensued with the hound van eventually being allowed to leave at 4:30pm – far too late to organise any further hunting.
The following day, sab pursuit teams were out early in Bellingham and other villages known to host visiting hunters. However, it was soon clear that they had chosen to stay in bed rather than risk another encounter with sabs. When sabs spotted the visiting Chilmark & Clifton Foot Beagles (CCFB) hound van heading home, it was increasingly clear that the event had folded.
Sabs spent the Wednesday patrolling known meets, road junctions and key villages, but the only activity was despondent hunters beginning the long drive home.
The Northumberland Beagling Festival is organised by the Newcastle & District Beagles. They invite southern beagle packs to hunt hares in their wild and remote country, a long way from prying eyes. In addition to the CCFB, we believe at least two other packs will have been invited to attend for the week.
A HSA spokesperson explained,
“The Northumberland Beagling Festival is by far the oldest and most important of these hare hunting events. It was sabbed out of existence in the early 1990s but remerged in more secretive form some years later. Our successful operation this week is therefore a crushing defeat for the beaglers and a reminder that the long arm of the HSA reaches into even the wildest and most remote terrain.
With a network of eyes and ears now established in the local area, we are determined that the Northumberland Beagling Festival will never happen again.”
The HSA funded food, fuel and other costs for local saboteur groups traveling to the event. Please help us fund similar direct-action operations by donating or becoming a member. Thank you.
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