The Evidence of Escalating Hunt Violence
Here follows a brief summary of some of the more serious attacks on hunt
saboteurs so far this season.
Late August 1997: Saboteur Neil B from Dorchester visited at home by
Portman FH terrierman Nick Stephens who tries to kick front door down,
warning the saboteur that if he or any of his group try to disrupt Stephens'
hunt, they will pay for it. Issues threats to kill Neil, his wife and their
pets. Reported to police - no formal action apparently.
Early September: Nick Stephens (as above) attacks the Dorset sabs' transit
van with a pickaxe handle, whilst at the Portman FH, trying to smash the
bodywork and windows. Foresight meant that the windows were grilled with
mesh, stopping the glass shattering, but the van was damaged in the ensuing
chase as Stephens tried to ram the van off the road, driving recklessly
without lights at night, and then with full beam lights to blind the driver.
A 999 call to police elicited no response from Dorset Constabulary.
Early September: A single saboteur out trying to stop the Western FH from
killing fox cubs in Western Cornwall is attacked by several jeering hunt
followers. He is battered about the head, has his head and neck wrenched
severely, brought back to consciousness before again being knocked and
dragged around, then thrown into a huge patch of stinging nettles. He then
has to walk 4 miles home. An appallingly cowardly and sad one this, but he
is one of the only saboteurs in the area of the hunt!
Mid September: More than 20 hunt supporters chase and threaten with pick-axe
handles, less than 8 saboteurs who turn up at an evening cub-hunt of the
Ashford Valley FH. Police attending the incident turn on the saboteurs using
extendible batons and later attack saboteurs in Ashford Police station as
the saboteurs attempt to make a formal complaint about the policing. Police
actions caught on video. Hunt supporters actions were video'd, but the tape
was confiscated by the police. There is video of the police behaviour in the
police station.
Late September: Two saboteurs injured when run over by an All-Terrain
Vehicle (ATV) - one was run over in a field, the other was hit and carried
along on the ATV for over 50m before being punched and kicked by hunt
supporters of the Ashford Valley FH. Whilst this was going on, another lone
saboteur was set upon by up to 6 hunt supporters who punched, kicked and
beat him around the body with lumps of wood. He was ultimately left
semi-conscious in the field after being hit in the head with an iron bar. On
arrival, Ashford police arrested the dazed saboteur for assault before
finally taking him to hospital in Ashford.
Late September: Saboteur receives serious cuts to top of head caused by
horse's hooves when the Huntsman of the East Kent FH rides over him after a
scuffle over the carcass of a fox the hunt have just killed.
Mid October: Middle aged female saboteur attacked by a hunt supporter of the
Cattistock FH, armed with a shovel. She narrowly avoids serious head injury,
by raising her arms, but is injured on the hand. In the same incident, a
saboteur has his faced rammed into the front grill of the transit van as
hunt supporters try to wrestle his camera from him. As this is going on, a
further duo of hunt supporters have climbed into the back of the transit van
containing 5 terrified saboteurs and set about punching several of them in
the face, and jabbing the driver of the van in the face with a stick. Three
members of the same family (the notorious Martin family) have been arrested
for this series of incidents and are currently on police bail.
Early November: 4 saboteurs ambushed on footpath in E. Sussex by 11 Old
Surrey & Burstow FH supporters. The 4 are punched and kicked to the ground
and left in a muddy ditch by the laughing supporters. No independent
witnesses, therefore, no police action!
Early November: Saboteur from Kettering is kicked unconscious by hunt
supporters of the Oakley FH in North Bedfordshire. At the time, the saboteur
was accompanying a young female saboteur on her first protest who was having
difficulty keeping up with the rest of the group (of 7 sabs). The attack
took place on a footpath and was apparently witnessed and video'd by
Bedfordshire police (although why they didn't intervene is a mystery). Not
sure of any police action on this one.
Early - Mid November: Mass ridings down by mounted hunt followers of the
Chiddingfold, Leconfield & Cowdray FH resulting in many minor injuries to
saboteurs and in one case, a cameraman from Nippon TV who was filming with
his back to the hunt when one of the masters rode into and over the top of
him. Miraculously, he was shaken but uninjured. Caught on video by 2
saboteur cameras! Dismounted riders had to be restrained by W. Sussex police
when they whip and attack female sabs with upturned bone-handled whips
-again caught on video. Also, a saboteur was lucky to escape serious injury
when a whipper-in from the hunt charged him down and rode his horse over the
top of him. The hooves smashed a scent-spray lying next to the head of the
prostrate saboteur - a couple of inches either way and this could have been
the third dead saboteur of the 1990's
Mid November: Female saboteur held down by 2 hunt supporters and repeatedly
punched by another male follower of the Garth & South Berks FH. (Supporters
probably from the Sandhurst & Military Beagles where the huntsman has just
come from).
End November: Several sabs ambushed and attacked by well-known hunt
followers in balaclavas using pickaxe handles and metal piping. The two
worst injured taken to Salisbury hospital with head injuries. Sab van rammed
by hunt follower's Land Rover - which they later claim was our fault.
Several of the hunt staff get involved in the clashes, one of the red coated
riders pulled out a cut-down axe handle from his saddle to batter sabs in
the field. Video and Photo evidence of the attacks.
Start December: Dorset sab contact threatened at place of work by man with
machete! The sab had to leave his work site as his work mates restrain the
assailant. Man is part of a gang of poachers who are linked with the army of
hunt followers who support the Portman, South & West Wilts, South Dorset and
Hursley Hambledon hunts in southern England. They operate a telephone tree
to co-ordinate responses to the arrival of hunt saboteurs at hunts in the
region. They have now threatened to shoot or 'chop' any sabs who turn up in
the Dorset area. The CID are currently investigating these death threats,
and have installed a panic button in the home of the local saboteur.
Mid December: Back at the Ashford Valley in Kent once again, a lone saboteur
returning from a fundraising stall in town finds the hunt trespassing over
land near his house from which they are barred. His vehicle is blocked in by
hunt followers and all the windows are put in with axe handles and iron
bars. He is pulled out of the smashed driver's window and given a severe
beating including repeated kicks to the head. When the police arrive, they
(as usual) arrest the saboteur and impound his car. He is released from the
police station at 3am, after which he is able to get to hospital to have his
injuries treated.
End December: Several sabs injured at the Essex Farmers & Union Hunt at
their Boxing Day meet in Maldon, Essex. As usual, the press and TV cameras
(and most of the demonstrators) left after the initial demonstration against
the hunt. When the saboteurs left their vehicle to follow the hunt on foot,
they suffered several violent attacks from hunt followers and riders. In the
worst attack, a sab was knocked to the ground and repeatedly punched in the
head, leaving him with a broken nose and head injuries. A female sab who
came to his aid was punched in the face, resulting in a black eye. Also on
this hunt, two sabs narrowly avoided being run over by demented hunt
followers in vehicles, and a sab was ridden over by a lunatic rider,
sustaining back injuries. This incident was apparently caught by Essex
police on video, and resulted in an arrest. There were also a couple of
arrests for the earlier unprovoked assault, and we await any outcome with
interest.
There have been many more incidents around the country than those detailed
above, but this is a fair selection!
What has seemed to be an unusual feature of the violence so far this season
(apart from the stuff we expect from the foot followers and terriermen!) is
the amount of riders who are charging down sabs and either whipping them or
trying to ride over them. We are taking this as a sign that the 'average'
mounted followers of hunts are increasingly desperate after the Foster Bill
on November 28th and are taking their frustration and anger out on those in
the front line - i.e. hunt saboteurs.
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