Followers of the Southdown and Eridge Hunt, in East Sussex, attacked two small groups of hunt saboteurs at the first meet of the season on Saturday 27th.
The huntsman had put up a fox and was encouraging hounds on but before saboteurs could intervene a group of about 10 hunt supporters attacked the three saboteurs violently. The attack left  three hunt saboteurs with head wounds and severe bruising which resulted in hospitalisation and stitches. During the unprovoked attack, a video camera used to record the illegal hunting was stolen. The attackers were the same group who have organised attacks on saboteurs numerous times in the past two seasons.
Hunt supporters continued to assault the injured people while they called the ambulance and did first aid.

Police came but claimed they couldn't act until statements had been taken at the station, which never seems to be a problem when the hunt asks them to arrest a sab. Or indeed when they break up a common street brawl. The police left although the hunt sabs pointed out a repeat attack was likely.
The same gang of hunt thugs then attacked another group of three saboteurs who had found the hunt illegally hunting again.
Sussex Police returned after the second attack and arrested one of the attackers when shown video evidence. They took no action to investigate the illegal hunting.

One of the sabs told Schnews “At one point the police asked us if we had any video evidence to prove that it was illegal hunting. We explained it was hard to collect such evidence when being hit around the head and then having your camera stolen.”

“These orchestrated violent attacks arranged by the hunts are just ways to avoid prosecution, they should be treated as clear evidence that hunts are hunting illegally. If they were keeping to the ban they would not care who was videoing them.”

This attack is remarkably similar to an incident two years ago also at the opening meet of this hunt, when the huntsman lured the main group of sabs away into the mist while a gang of thugs attacked the driver and one passenger.

Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated: “We are pleased that the police eventually arrested one hunt supporter however they should have acted decisively much earlier in the day. The South Down and Eridge should have realised by now that violence doesn't deter our members and in fact only makes them more determined to thwart their illegal activities.”

www.huntsabs.org.uk

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