Hit Report 1/1/2020
Barlow Hunt, Derbyshire.
We were on the road by 6.30am New Years day to take a trip to Derbyshire, it was the least we could do for our friends at Derby hunt saboteurs who’ve been out with us every week this season and most of last season. So with not a hangover in sight and 2020 vision we headed to the Barlow hunt who were meeting at the Gate inn, Cutthorpe near Chesterfield. The Barlow hunt have recently been in the media following footage captured by sabs of then ripping up a fox. Numerous sab groups attended, ourselves Derby hunt saboteurs, Sheffield hunt saboteurs, West Yorkshire hunt saboteurs, Manchester hunt saboteurs Liverpool hunt saboteurs, Lincoln hunt saboteurs and I believe we even had a sab along from Nottingham hunt saboteurs, more sabs than a bumpkin could wave a stick at! Well so you would have thought….
Outside the Gate inn there was a large police presence as also anti hunt protesters had gathered. The police had allocated a police vehicle to follow each sab vehicle, the police also had out with them “Evidence Gatherers” “Police Liaison officers” and a police drone. Anybody who has been leaving comments on the Derbyshire rural crime teams Facebook page questioning the honesty and unbiased of the team are fully justified, it’s clear which side the police are on. Sabs took positions around the area we believe they would hunt, this work very successfully as each way the hunt tried to turn they ran into more sabs. The hunt were clearly rattled and frustrated. Their frustrations got the better of them when they resorted to assaulting sabs. At which point police officers entered the fields and witnessed sabs getting assaulted. The action taken by the police? Was to tell sabs the leave the fields, this despite trespass being a civil matter and none of the polices business. One officer in particular got a bit too involved, pushing, grabbing at and standing on the feet of sabs. The police had no intention of investigating illegal hunting their only interest was aiding this fox killing hunt. The hunt who had already stopped once for Sherry then headed towards Far Lane Farm to top up once again. It was clear to the hunt that we were not going to allow hunting to take place and after a bit of standing around they headed back down the tarmac and packed by around 2.20pm. The police “Evidence Gatherers” couldn’t explain to us what exactly their role was. When we attempted to point out crimes to them their response was “we are not here for that” gathering evidences is what they claimed to be here for but weren’t interested in gathering evidences of crimes committed by hunt members hmmm…..
A very successful day for protesters, sabs and wildlife.
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