Hunt saboteurs from all over the country, as well as Ireland, travelled to Dorset on 21 January to sab the South Dorset Hunt (SDH).
More than 40 people descended on the hunt in response to acts of extreme violence carried out by SDH supporters over the past month. On 20 December, a 77-year-old hunt monitor from Weymouth Animal Rights (WAR) was beaten round the head with an iron bar by SDH supporters as he monitored the hunt. On 26 December, hunt saboteurs woke up to find 17 of their vehicles’ tyres were slashed, in an attempt to stop them from sabbing the notorious Boxing Day meet. On 12 January, an independent monitor in his seventies was badly bruised when he was hit with metal shot at him from a catapult by a hunt supporter. And on the same day, in another disgusting and disgraceful incident, SDH supporters threw two murdered foxes into a hunt saboteur’s garden.
‘You hurt one of us, you hurt us all’
Weymouth Animal Rights (WAR), which has been particularly targeted by the hunt, said:
“There are some days you might remember and some days you will never forget and today was a day that all of us at WAR will never forget. As you know there have been some horrific and shocking attacks on us over the last few weeks… These attacks not only shocked the nation but made news headlines up and down the country, which showed the SD and their murdering misfits for what they truly are: bullies, thugs and murderers!
So today in a show of solidarity, in a show of defiance and a show of allegiance, sabs from all corners of the country, including Ireland, gathered their troops and headed for the hills of Dorset to give the SD a loud and clear message: you hurt one of us, you hurt us ALL.”
Still using violence
The SDH was hosting a joint meet that day, entertaining friends from the Chiddingfold, Leconfield and Cowdray Hunt. Of course, hunt supporters tried using force to prevent WAR from monitoring, blocking the monitors’ vehicle on a main road, and causing gridlock for other road users. But the hunt’s thugs were heavily outnumbered, so this made little difference.
In another incident, an SDH supporter deliberately ran into someone on his quadbike, hitting the person. Luckily there was no serious injury.
Sabs surrounded the whole area, and they flew five drones in the air, making it almost impossible for the hunt to make a kill. WAR said:
“Although we feel for certain that this was a ‘no kill’ day it really wasn’t for the lack of trying by these killers, and over the course of the day six foxes were seen to safety by sabs. Seems a little strange to see so many foxes in this area when we are there week in and week out and don’t see that many. Maybe the visiting hunters needed to be ‘entertained’ and needed some ‘visiting’ foxes to do the job.”
The SDH was forced to pack up early, leaving the field by 3.40pm.
Defiant
The SDH bullies will, no doubt, have been surprised by this hit on them. If they are thinking of responding with even greater violence, they should be aware: all eyes are watching them, and more attacks will make national headlines. If the SDH has any sense, it will rein in its supporters, or it will lose both field riders and the compliance of landowners.
Hunt saboteurs and monitors have shown the SDH that if it attacks one group, it will have to answer to many more.
“We are not just individual groups of sabs, we are the Hunt Saboteurs Association and we will not stop until every single hunt in this country that murder wildlife is finished!”
- You can donate to Weymouth Animal Rights here.
- If you’re local, you can join WAR on the ground. Message them on Facebook, or email weymouthanimalrights@protonmail.com and they will get back to you as soon as possible.
- WAR has a tip-off line. If you know anything about the South Dorset Hunt, or see them hunting in your area, call or message WAR on 07443 148426.
