UK: Hunt Saboteur’s Car Set on Fire Outside Home

from Hunt Saboteurs Association

A car used to monitor illegal fox hunts has been set on fire outside the home of a member of West Midlands Hunt saboteurs. Wheelie bins were piled up against the car and set on fire causing significant damage to the rear bumper. This is the second saboteur vehicle that has been damaged in the same location in the past few months. In February another member of the group had all four tyres slashed when they left their car outside the same house. Members of the group are confident both attacks were carried out by supporters of local foxhunts, angry at the success the group have achieved against them over the past year.

West Midlands sabs have focused the majority of their attention on the Atherstone hunt during the recent hunting season, attending every single one of their meets. Video evidence presented by the sabs has resulted in the huntsman, Stuart Barton, being interviewed by the police regarding illegal hunting and assault of a hunt saboteur. Three Atherstone hunt supporters are also due to appear in court after racially abusing a hunt saboteur.

The Atherstone had a challenging start to the season when they sacked their huntsman, Ollie Finnegan, shortly before the season began and forced him and his heavily pregnant wife out of their home. This led to a great deal of unhappiness in the hunt and a drop in their support. The continuous presence of sabs exacerbated this and meant numbers were very low by the season’s end.

Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated: “Whilst there is, as yet no evidence linking these attacks to pro-hunt thugs it is difficult to reach any other conclusion. Members of the Atherstone hunt have made it clear that they know about this particular address and seem to have a significant hatred for West Midlands hunt sabs. We hope the police treat this latest attack seriously and take a particularly close look at local hunt support. The hunting community has a long history of targeting hunt saboteurs homes in retaliation to having their cruel pastime exposed and this is why many hunt saboteurs are forced to hide their identities. What they fail to realise is that these bullying, cowardly attacks only make us more determined and confirm how effective our actions are.”

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