DISPATCHES Hunt Sabs have been all over the news recently in the UK – and big chunks of it very positive. But whilst victories are in sight and morale is high, sabbing is still dangerous and sabs subject to untold violence from Hunters, and often without Police backup, although Sabs have the law on their side. Experienced AR activist and recently hospitalised Sabber Mel Broughton reports.
HUNT SABS ARE NUMBERS UP HAVE GOT THE SINCE COVID? THE HUNTERS ON THE HUNT SABS ARE RUN RIGHT NOW. ALWAYS IN THE RIGHT? WHAT’S NEWS, ON SOCIAL THE LATEST? MEDIA, AND There has been a lot of nega- USUALLY SEEM TO tive publicity for the hunters BE WINNING. recently the most damaging being the webinar expose showing leading members of the hunting world ‘conspiring’ to create a ‘smokescreen’ around trail-hunting. Recent media reports have detailed that one participant has been charged in relation to the webinar discussion. The resulting fall-out of the expose has seen many local authorities banning hunts from land and even private landowners shutting the door on them. We also saw on national T.V. a fox being hunted on private property with the huntsman concerned caught on CCTV throwing the body of the fox to the hounds. None of this will come as any surprise to sabs but to the general public it’s now screamingly obvious that the hunt ban is routinely and knowingly disregarded by hunts everywhere. 34
FORCA VEGAN
I think sabs are winning on the ground and on social media. A day barely passes now where the hunters are not on the back foot desperately trying to brush the latest expose under the hedge. I also think more people are coming to sabbing because it’s the one form of fighting animal abuse where your primary activity is ‘direct action’. The hunt saboteurs have always been the group that gave activists their first experience of using direct action to save life and historically it was the gateway for many to become animal liberators. I think the hunt saboteurs are once again seen as the direct action leaders in the animal rights movement and people want to be involved. Of course it’s also
mel broughton obvious to everyone that the refusal of hunts to show any respect for the law and their continued terrorising of wildlife has to be countered by sabs in the field to stop them. I think the public have had enough of seeing hunts getting away with it and sabs have skilfully used social media to not only show illegal hunting happening but also the total arrogance of the huntsman and followers towards anyone who dares to challenge them.
IT’S ALWAYS BEEN DANGEROUS – ARE CASES OF VIOLENCE BY HUNTERS ON THE RISE? There is often the threat of violence when you go sabbing. Most of the time it comes down to pushing and shoving by hunt stewards (paid servants of the hunt) but actual violence from hunt supporters is not uncommon. I think it’s probably fair to say that there has been a rise in violence used against sabs in recent times. This is in no doubt a response
