Rampage at Dusk: Shooting Party Targets Protected Birds, Turns Violent on Protesters
Protected Birds in the Crosshairs
On the evening of Friday, 20th November, a shooting party went on a dark rampage, aiming to kill ducks, geese, and marsh harriers — a legally protected species on the UK Amber list of conservation concern. The shooters targeted the birds as they flew home to roost at dusk.
Violence Erupts Against Sabs Trying to Stop the Kill
The shooters’ frustration boiled over when hunt saboteurs intervened. The aggressors pushed one sab into a ditch, tried to run others over with a quad bike, and smashed phones and cameras. When these failed, they escalated by blocking the protestors’ vehicle on a narrow lane and attacking it with a spiked JCB digger.
Sab Vehicle Vandalised and Driver Trapped
The digger lifted the vehicle into the air before the attackers drained its diesel tank. The driver and a passenger were trapped inside and had to call the police for help. Shockingly, law enforcement arrived only to side with the shooters, showing aggression towards the sabs and refusing to arrest the violent offenders.
Hunt Saboteurs Warn of Rising Danger
Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, said:
“This is the second such attack in the South East within the past few weeks and it’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or killed. Violence is a way of life for the hunting and shooting community and they are quick to use aggression against those who try and stop them killing. It’s unbelievable that in the middle of a national lockdown people still go out shooting birds when the majority of the population are making huge sacrifices.”
