Battle In The Country: The Hunt Saboteurs
Summary
TLDRThis transcript captures the intense conflict between hunt saboteurs and fox hunters in the UK. Hunt saboteurs actively disrupt hunts to protect foxes, often facing violence and legal challenges. Despite the 2004 ban on hunting with dogs, the conflict continues with accusations of illegal hunting and extreme activism. Both sides express their perspectives, revealing deep-rooted tensions and the high stakes involved. The saboteurs' commitment to animal rights contrasts with the hunters' view of their tradition and the law, highlighting a broader societal clash over heritage, legality, and ethical activism.
Takeaways
- 🦊 A hunt saboteur is someone who actively sabotages fox hunts.
- 😡 Hunt saboteurs face intense verbal and physical abuse, being called names like 'paedophile' and 'terrorist'.
- ⚠️ The conflict between hunters and saboteurs is described as a serious, high-stakes 'war' in the countryside.
- 🚫 Despite the ban on hunting with dogs in England and Wales, hunting activities continue, causing ongoing conflict.
- 🐕 Hunters claim to follow trail and drag hunting, where hounds follow an artificial scent instead of live animals.
- 🔍 Saboteurs monitor hunts to ensure no illegal hunting occurs and actively intervene if they believe laws are being broken.
- 💥 Both hunters and saboteurs face violence, with saboteurs recounting numerous physical attacks and altercations.
- 🎥 Saboteurs document and publicize their actions and the hunts, leading to further tensions and confrontations.
- 🏡 Saboteurs often face legal issues and are sometimes banned from hunting areas, but they continue their activism.
- 🤝 The film highlights the need for better laws and mutual understanding between hunters and animal rights activists.
Q & A
What is a hunt saboteur?
-A hunt saboteur is someone who actively sabotages fox hunts to protect wildlife, particularly foxes.
What kind of abuse have hunt saboteurs experienced?
-Hunt saboteurs have been called names, punched, kicked, head-butted, and hit with bars.
What change occurred after the Hunting Act was enacted in England and Wales?
-After the Hunting Act, hunting groups started trail and drag hunting, where hounds follow an artificially laid scent instead of hunting live animals.
Why do animal activists continue to distrust hunters despite the ban?
-Animal activists don't believe hunters have genuinely switched to trail hunting and suspect that illegal hunting of live foxes still occurs.
How do hunt saboteurs find out where hunts are taking place?
-Hunt saboteurs receive tip-offs and use various sources, including people who secretly relay information about the hunts' locations.
What is the primary goal of hunt saboteurs when they attend hunts?
-The primary goal of hunt saboteurs is to monitor hunts to ensure no illegal hunting occurs and to intervene if necessary.
Why do some people support hunting?
-Supporters believe hunting is a traditional activity that is enjoyable, a major part of their lives, important for exercising horses and hounds, and beneficial for the economy.
What tactics do hunt saboteurs use to disrupt hunts?
-Hunt saboteurs use tactics like blowing horns to confuse the hounds, using citronella spray to mask the scent of foxes, and physically placing themselves between the hunters and the hounds.
What are some risks hunt saboteurs face during their activities?
-Hunt saboteurs face physical violence, intimidation, and legal issues such as being arrested or banned from certain areas.
Why do hunt saboteurs cover their faces?
-Hunt saboteurs cover their faces for security reasons to protect their identities from online harassment and other threats.
What justification do hunters give for continuing to hunt despite the ban?
-Hunters argue that any encounters with foxes are accidental and similar to a dog chasing a rabbit, claiming they hunt within the law and that the law itself is unclear and needs clarification.
How do hunt saboteurs feel about the violence they face?
-Hunt saboteurs feel that the violence they face testifies to the effectiveness of their efforts and strengthens their resolve to continue their activism.
What is the perspective of hunters on hunt saboteurs' activities?
-Hunters believe that hunt saboteurs interfere with lawful hunting, cause more harm than good, and view them as being driven by a lack of understanding and desire to disrupt traditional practices.
Why do hunt saboteurs believe they are making a difference?
-Hunt saboteurs believe they are making a difference because they prevent illegal hunting, protect wildlife, and endure violence and legal challenges without giving up.
What personal sacrifices do hunt saboteurs make for their cause?
-Hunt saboteurs often prioritize their activism over other aspects of their lives, facing personal risks and legal issues to protect animals.
Outlines
⚔️ The Struggle of Hunt Saboteurs
A hunt saboteur describes the intense and dangerous efforts to sabotage fox hunts, facing violent opposition and severe backlash. Despite the 2004 Hunting Act banning hunting with dogs, conflicts persist as hunters claim to follow new practices like trail hunting, which activists believe are just a facade for illegal hunting.
🐕 The Intricacies of Sabotaging Hunts
Saboteurs track hunts meticulously, using tips to locate hunts and disrupt them. The scene unfolds with the saboteurs closely monitoring and intervening in hunts suspected of illegal activities. They employ tactics to mislead the hounds and create confusion among the hunters.
😡 Confrontations and Accusations
Intense confrontations between saboteurs and hunters highlight the ongoing tension. Both sides accuse each other of escalating violence and breaking the law. The segment showcases the emotional and physical toll on individuals involved in the struggle against hunting.
🎥 Documenting the Hunt Saboteurs' Actions
Saboteurs document their efforts to prevent hunting, facing constant threats and violence. They employ various methods to mislead hounds and disrupt the hunt, all while navigating legal and physical dangers. The commitment and passion of these activists are evident despite the risks.
🦊 Personal Stories and Determination
Personal anecdotes from a dedicated hunt saboteur reveal the emotional and physical hardships faced in their mission. The segment highlights their unwavering resolve to protect wildlife and the personal sacrifices made to continue their activism.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Hunt Saboteur
💡Fox Hunting
💡Hunting Act 2004
💡Trail Hunting
💡Animal Rights Activism
💡Conflict
💡Violence
💡Tradition
💡Sabotage Tactics
💡Legal and Illegal Hunting
Highlights
A hunt saboteur is someone who actively sabotages fox hunts.
Hunt saboteurs face extreme hostility, being called names like 'paedophile' and 'terrorist'.
The intensity of the conflict between saboteurs and hunters highlights that this isn't just a game; it's serious business with lives at stake.
Hunt saboteurs experience physical violence, including being punched, kicked, and hit with bars.
The countryside is in conflict over fox hunting, which remains a contentious issue in Britain.
Despite the ban on hunting with dogs, hunting groups have adapted by starting trail and drag hunting.
Animal activists continue to distrust hunters, believing they haven't genuinely changed their practices.
Hunt saboteurs monitor hunts to ensure they aren't engaging in illegal activities.
Hunt saboteurs use various methods, such as blowing horns, to disrupt hunts and lead hounds away.
Hunt supporters argue that saboteurs' interference can create more dangerous situations for hounds, horses, and people.
Saboteurs face legal challenges, including accusations of trespassing and being labeled as criminals.
The conflict often involves violence and aggression, with saboteurs experiencing significant personal risk.
Hunt supporters believe that hunting is a part of their heritage and necessary for the economy.
The controversy over fox hunting remains unresolved, with both sides firmly entrenched in their positions.
Despite the challenges, hunt saboteurs remain committed to their cause, believing their actions make a difference in protecting wildlife.
Transcripts
A hunt saboteur is someone who actively sabotages fox hunts.
I've been called every single name under the sun,
from a paedophile to a terrorist.
This isn't a game for us - this is serious business, you know,
lives are at stake here.
Hey, stop it!
Go on, leave it!
You know, I've been punched, I've been kicked,
I've been head-butted, I've been hit with bars.
We're never going to back down over this.
Mind your own business! All right?
HORN SOUNDS
There's a war going on in the countryside
and it's far bigger than people realise.
Fox hunting was one of Britain's most controversial sports.
Animal activists battled to stop people hunting...
You bastards! ..and hunters fought for their right to hunt.
A ban on hunting with dogs is forced through at Westminster.
It will take effect in three months.
After the Hunting Act came into play in England and Wales,
hunting groups started trail and drag hunting,
where the hounds follow an artificially laid scent
instead of hunting for a live animal.
But it's been 14 years since the ban
and hunting is still causing conflict.
ALL: Keep the ban! Keep the ban!
Even though hunters say what they're doing has changed,
animal activists don't believe them.
WOMAN WHIMPERS AND SOBS
I go out sabbing personally each and every week,
every Saturday during hunting season.
You know, I started in my teens.
And the reason it still appeals to me,
almost 20 years later, is because it really makes a difference.
And, yes, some people might see it as more extreme than
going on a protest or holding a placard.
And, yes, maybe it is.
But it's something that gets direct results.
We've had a really good tip-off
about the hunt that we're sabotaging today.
It's an integral part of our work,
to find out where these hunts are meeting,
because they change their location every single time they go out,
and of course they're not going to give that information up to us.
We have all sorts of people messaging us.
The hunt think that they're onside
but they're actually relaying all that information.
So it can take a hunt completely by surprise
when we do turn up at the start of the day.
We're on.
The sabs claim they saw a fox in the path of this hunt
and are heading there again to investigate.
Our plan, first and foremost, is to monitor the hunt
and see that they don't get up to anything illegal.
This is a hunt that we know quite well,
we've been sabotaging this particular hunt for years.
Never seen this particular hunt lay a trail.
If they're illegally hunting foxes,
then we'll step in and we'll stop them.
In every war, there are two sides,
but only one side has agreed to be filmed.
We had a huge response from the hunting community.
People wanted to tell their story.
But national organisations warned people off and shut us out.
So we're having to tell half of this story using archive footage
and anyone else who would talk to us.
Do you guys go out hunting?
Yes. Yes. Yeah, all three of us do.
For most people that go hunting it's a major, major part of their life.
They don't want to break the law, it's just, they still need to
exercise their horses, they need to still exercise their hounds.
We have terrific fun following trails.
It's just enjoyable cantering around the countryside. Yeah.
I think it's part of our heritage.
The economy, you know, it does rely on the old traditions.
It's going to die out,
and along with it, all the work placements and everything else.
It's nearby. Got horseboxes...
OK.
Here they are. Got them. Just down in there.
There's quite a bit of support there.
We're going to be grassed up by the little horse person.
It's very, very intimidating.
If someone on the street comes up to you all in black.
They are menacing.
Like, opening hunt meet, we had 30 of them
running across the countryside, blocking routes, blocking gateways.
They're not looking for a peaceful way to resolve it. Yeah.
It's almost like a hobby for them
going out and just being a pain in the ass, causing trouble.
HORN BLOWS
So the huntsman's just here,
he's cast the hounds out into this wood here.
You can see the hounds working through the wood.
OK. We've got company.
Let's go, let's run. Yeah. All right, let's go.
Let's move, let's move.
I can hear him. It's not too far away.
If we get a chance to sab him, we're just going for it.
Sounds like he's fairly close.
We can just hear the huntsman blowing his horn,
not too far away from us.
I think you'll have to ask yourself some serious questions
when you're walking through a wood like this...
In trail hunting,
a scent is laid through the countryside
for the hunt to find and follow.
They might tell you they've laid a trail,
but you can't physically see it
so you've just got to believe it, right?
Here's the hounds. We've got the hounds here.
Sab.
The horn is what the huntsman uses to, to train the hounds.
So we use them to reverse effect.
BLOWS HORN
Come on, hounds!
Come on, hounds!
BLOWS HORN
Here we go, we've got 'em.
Hold up, hold up!
Hold up. Hold up.
Hold up. Hold up. Hold up.
Do you want to let them know we've got the pack?
Hold up. Hold up. Hold up.
BLOWS HORN
He now knows that he's been sabbed.
He knows that we have the capacity to take his hounds off him.
He's going to want to run now and that's great for us.
So this is a really good start to our day,
a really, really good start.
They kidnap the hounds, which is when the problem starts,
because they lose control of the hounds
because of the interference from the saboteurs.
They come and ruin a day's lawful safe hunting in a way that is
affecting the hounds, horses and people.
They think they're helping
but actually they're making the situation a lot worse.
All right, huntsman coming towards us.
Warning. Watch your talk, he's a bit spooky so just be careful
when, if you're near me making a bit of noise, all right?
Yep, that's fine. Right, OK, because I don't want to knock you over. OK.
Have you ever known of that? No!
That is a funny place for a trail, isn't it? Yeah.
So how are you laying a trail through that, seriously?
I can't see where anyone's walked in there at all.
Surely you'd go to the top bit, wouldn't you?
Come on, mate, how can you lay a trail through there?
I haven't laid it, so... LAUGHTER
I don't think anyone's laid it, have they?
It's the trail layer's problem to walk through it, not me. Look at it!
I want a word with them, like.
I would dock his pay at least!
The day before or the morning of a day's hunting,
we have three or four trail layers.
I set out to get the hounds to hunt these trails.
I am not told where these trails have been laid
because that would defeat the object of it.
You're filming children again. There's no law, I'm afraid.
Are you sure the police won't...? Call them.
They have.
Then we'll tell them you're illegally hunting. OK.
You're not setting trails through there.
We've already done it. Really?
HORN BLOWS
Go back to your city. We live in the country. You do?
Oh, righto. Whereabouts?
They've got a garden. So I'm going to tell you where I live?
I don't think so. Anyway, you're just wasting my time.
Of course, the kind of people who are doing what they're
legally allowed to do are going to kind of get quite upset.
They're filming us and publishing it on the Facebook
without our permission.
Over 100 miles away,
one of the UK's most infamous hunt sabs doesn't hide her identity
and is well-known for sabotage.
I go sabbing four times a week.
I've been arrested probably five times.
I was once banned from going to any hunt in the UK,
banned from entering Leicestershire.
The police have labelled me as defiant and dangerous.
A bunch of criminals, who go twice a week to break the law.
And landowners are having enough of you now, aren't they?
I've been spat at, I've been punched, I've been kicked.
I've been ridden at, I've been knocked out. I've had broken bones.
You're not invited, so get going, now! That's not for you to decide.
It is! No, it's not. There's illegal activity going on here.
Get it gone, now! Do what you want, but get out!
Get your hands off her. We're leaving. We're leaving!
We are leaving! We are leaving now!
Did you provoke him?
Provoke? I just stood there!
You know, how can I provoke him?
They say that I shouldn't have been on his land and all the rest of it.
Well, stop letting the hunt on your land.
Do you do anything criminal in sabbing? No.
When they argue, when the hunters will say about trespass,
that's a civil issue anyway, so criminal? No.
The farmer is behind us now on the quad bike.
OK.
I've just said OK.
I said OK.
Let's go. Come on.
He knows exactly who I am.
Why would you say to anyone random that you're not wearing
a balaclava at this precise moment?
Yeah, of course I'm scared. Of course I'm scared, I'm human.
Do you take activism too far? Do you think you're an extremist?
How am I an extremist?
I've got no record of violence,
there's nothing to suggest I'm violent.
But because I protect foxes, I'm violent.
Don't you think you're threatening people that are just
going on a peaceful day out when you just turn up
and you try and cause disruption? It's not a peaceful day out.
They'll say we're winding them up.
We'll say, we're protecting wildlife.
Don't block the path.
Don't hit me. Don't hit me.
I was tipped off a horse by a hunt saboteur and I wasn't even hunting.
It's scary. Yeah, I used to have people spit in my face.
THEY SHOUT
Oh, look. She's pushing him out the way.
Fair enough, have your opinions, we all have our own opinions.
But it's not good when people are on private land.
You want to talk about breaking the law,
you guys are on private property.
Upsetting the hounds, damaging the horses as well
because I've seen incidents when things have not been good.
Trying to bring the hounds off with the gizmo.
They see people on horses as sort of elitist people that actually
they disagree with fundamentally.
We are not violent individuals.
We are not hellbent on going into the countryside,
creating some sort of class war.
The reason that we do cover our faces is we've seen a huge
escalation in online activity trying to find out who we are.
We do this for security measures.
Get off the horse. Stop using it...
Sabbing most definitely is a risky job.
HORN BLOWS
WOMAN SCREAMS
Oh, my God!
I don't think a week goes by where one hunt saboteur
group from around the country isn't experiencing violence.
OK, I'm leaving.
Keep on fucking moving!
Oi, get off her!
I think it, it stands testament to the work that we're doing.
If we weren't making a difference, then we would be ignored.
..Normally support and terrier men are normally the aggressors.
As you'll see in a second, I think.
Yeah, here we go. These are terrier boys.
Front of the quad bike you've got a box, so you have terriers in there.
There're sent in to flush out a fox if it goes to ground.
Mind your own fucking business!
How's that sound? Piss off! Go on.
Hey, hey, hey, there's no need for that.
What have you got to say, eh?
Let's have a look at you.
Do you have permission showing you're allowed to be on this land?
Mind your own business! all right?
Mind your own business.
We'll have a look at your faces.
RADIO: ..cos I think that would be a good idea.
Cos if they can start a fight,
then we're not out there stopping them hunting.
Come on. Sabs, he's long gone. Come on.
Greenlandy to Bluefootsabs. What's your location, over?
I just don't want my face posted all over social media.
The way you lot use it, yes.
And if you weren't breaking the law, we wouldn't be here.
The huntsman's taken off at some speed with the hounds.
I think he's hoping that he'll lose us. Anyone on channel?
RESPONSE ON RADIO
He's done a runner to the south.
He's got quite a bit of distance on us, over. Copy that. Beautiful.
Hopefully he's coming your way, over.
What I'm doing now is trying to see if I can get in front of them
to inform the foot sabs where the hunt is.
Hello, sir. We've come to the area because we've had a report
of numerous persons, perhaps taking part in a kind of a protest
against a hunt that could be ongoing. Yeah.
Um, is there anything to say
that you're anything to do with that or...?
Quite probably, yeah. Quite probably. OK.
Are you from a particular group, or..?
Not really, no. You're obviously not obliged to answer my questions,
you know that. We can obviously stop you under the Road Traffic Act.
Yeah, sure. So you don't know where the hunt is? No. Not a clue.
We're just trying to listen to hear the hounds.
We're just trying to locate the huntsman.
We've got rider on point here with some support.
Do you prefer to film me? Hmm?
You do what you want.
When we stopped just a moment ago,
we actually heard the hounds speaking.
We're just trying to get that again. Got to go. OK.
Just by the footpath and they've got hounds there.
Not sure whether to commit without another group with us.
It's Greenfootsabs. We're pulling along the footpath a bit
and try and get a view on what's happening, over.
Oh, look - they're all working through here. Fuck's sake!
Back to him, then!
The hounds are trained to obey the whip -
it tells them to stop what they're doing.
Leave it! Yes.
We mimic the huntsman. We use all of his methods in reverse effect.
Go on back to him!
Then this is a citronella spray.
We put this down to cover the fox's scent.
Back to him. They've been cast out into this wood here.
We can see the huntsman at quite a distance away
doing nothing to gather them back up
and we're quite simply sending them back to him.
Huntsman. OK, shall we carry on?
So this is where I live.
So I've got fox cushions, fox pictures, fox bedding, fox clothes.
I've got foxes everywhere because they are my,
like, they are my favourite animal.
I like to come back to bright things, colourful things.
All the bad stuff that goes on in the world out there, this
is my sanctuary, this is somewhere where I come home and feel safe.
Here is a picture of a fox rescue.
This is where I literally picked a fox up from the jaws of hounds.
Hoi!
WOMAN SCREAMS
No, no, no. Run.
When I'm looking at that, I kind of think to myself,
I did the right thing.
With all the tough times that I've faced through it, the violence
and all the bad things that I see, I have a picture up
and I can see her and, you know, that kind of inspiration, really.
What are you doing?
They've killed. They've killed. Get away!
I've seen a lot of fox kills. I must've seen about seven,
eight kills now.
SHE SOBS
From what we've witnessed as a group, OK, hunts are still hunting.
Some have started killing it!
Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
You look at videos of what anti-hunt people film
and show them against pre-ban footage, it's exactly the same.
If a fox is killed, it doesn't mean that hunts are being unlawful.
There will be times that hunts come across foxes,
they're out in the countryside,
they're naturally going to cross paths accidentally.
It's no different from you walking your dog
and your dog picking up the scent of a rabbit and chasing after it.
It can happen where they get onto the trail of a fox,
and that can go wrong, but it's really not very often at all
and it is completely accidental.
This is Greenfootsabs. The huntsman has crossed the stream
so he's now on the south side and is continuing east, over.
Stuck for a plan, isn't he?
DOGS HOWL
The hounds are speaking.
So if you hear the hounds are speaking now,
which means they're starting to scent,
which means they're picking up on the scent of an animal.
Leave it! Oi, you leave it!
Yeah, the hounds were just speaking at the bottom.
I mean, the huntsman was right there.
Um, they're clearly hunting through this wood,
you can hear them speaking.
But what he should be doing is calling them back to him
but he's not. He's just letting them carry on.
You can see hounds working further down through the wood.
HORN BLOWS
Come on out. Come on!
So he's now gathering the hounds back up,
telling them that there's nothing here.
Which is a good sign.
I could actually be found to be doing something illegal
without actually knowing I'm doing something illegal.
For example, if a trail has been laid through a wood
and the hounds hunt that trail through a wood
and a fox gets found, and out the other side
the hounds come out, it looks like they're hunting that fox
and I don't actually know about it because I'm 50 yards behind them
in that wood - within a heartbeat I'm suddenly breaking the law.
The law isn't effective and I think it needs to be clarified a lot.
They need to find a better ground that everybody is happy with.
Since 2004, we've been hunting within the law.
But sadly we are plagued every time we go out with people doing
the maximum amount of damage they can to ruin your day.
The sabs have been hiking through the woods for almost three hours
and have lost sight of the hunt again.
Is it? Yeah. Fuck!
Where's the hounds?
HE LAUGHS
If he's boxing up, he's going home. That's him, he's done.
He's had a shit day hunting and it's been spoiled by us!
HE LAUGHS
How does that make you feel?
Oh, this is fucking, fucking brilliant!
Throughout our filming,
nothing we witnessed suggested any illegal activity.
If the sabs had seen a fox on the hunt's trail previously,
then it may have been accidental.
They do jump to the assumption that everyone that goes out on a hunt
is a horrible person, they all want to go out
just cos they want to kill a fox.
So they make these accusations that, yeah,
hunts are doing stuff, just because of a lack of education.
People need to appreciate everybody else's perspective. Yeah.
And I think this is the way, you know, compromise needs to be made
from both sides.
I'm never going to stop sabbing.
And the more that I see of the violence towards animals
and the more that I see
the violence towards people who stand up to try and help
hunted animals, the more determined it makes me.
Well, they try and stop us and I think, very sadly, they are
beginning to become successful because people have had enough.
These are people from all walks of life,
they're people of all ages and we all come together with one
common goal - and that's to go out and stop hunting on the weekend.
I couldn't see my life without animal rights activism
and that might get in the way of other things in my life, sure,
but this comes first, always.
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