Boxing Day Hunt Chaos: Eight Arrested in Lewes Street Clash
A 31-year-old Eastbourne man has been charged with a public order offence after chaotic scenes at the Boxing Day hunt parade in Lewes High Street, East Sussex. He is set to appear at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on 22 January.
Eight Arrested Amid Tense Hunt Parade
The annual parade, a magnet for both hunt supporters and protesters, ended with eight arrests. Sussex Police revealed that four individuals—a 17-year-old boy, a 25-year-old man, a 21-year-old woman, and a 50-year-old woman—have received community resolution orders for public order and assault offences.
- Two 16-year-old boys were also arrested. One faces a racially aggravated offence and has been referred to the youth offending team.
- The other was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and released on bail pending further enquiries.
- A 34-year-old woman detained for public order offences was later released without action.
Hunt Organisers Hit Back
Organisers slammed the protests and defended the parade, insisting it was “conducted within the parameters of the law.”
The Boxing Day hunt parade, a deeply rooted tradition, has sparked rising tensions between hunt supporters and animal rights activists in recent years. Sussex Police say investigations into the day’s incidents are ongoing.
