Easingwold, Yorkshire
Every year the York & Ainsty (South) part of the Badsworth and Bramham, York and Ainsty (South) (BBYS) meet in Easingwold market place. Every year someone will post in the FaceBook forum asking about the Boxing Day Meet. Every year those of us opposed to it will get into heated arguments on FaceBook. A few year’s ago, we realised it was the same people opposing the hunt and we met up to form an organised resistance to this annual propaganda event for blood sports. Then came Covid – and they couldn’t meet anyway, but it gave us time to develop strategy and plan. One of the main things we did was to affiliate with AAF which helped us prepare and be ready for the first protest when they met after Covid.
This was a new experience for us, a learning experience. We had submitted Freedom of Information (FoI) requests and knew that the hunt didn’t have a road closure plan in place, hadn’t produced insurance documents nor had they provided a risk assessment.
On the day itself we had decent numbers but were obviously well-outnumbered by the supporters who were keen to be there after the enforced break. The mere fact that there was visible, tangible opposition to them clearly had them rattled. We experienced quite a bit of aggression and intimidation which was even worse for the sabs in the field after the parade. We had, however, set a marker in the stand.
Since that first protest we have grown in strength – we have submitted FoIs each year to the Council. We have emailed the County and Town Councils each year. Last year we even managed to get the hunt meet onto the Town Council agenda and attended the Council. We had two supportive Councillors but the meeting was rail-roaded by the mayor.
We have not had any more overt aggression from the supporters – they limit themselves to comments and trying to block us.
Our efforts with the Council have led to the hunt clearing up after themselves, at least. Our numbers have remained stable but the people in our ranks change each year with a hard core coming each time. Ideally we need more people to keep coming back to join us so that our numbers visibly grow. On the other hand the hunt riders and support have decreased year on year – we attribute this to the fact that our message is getting across. We will never convert the die-hard pros but there are still lots of people who think that the hunts only follow trails now. Thanks to the efforts of AAF and others more and more people are realising the barbaric and bloody truth behind the annual propaganda event and are staying away. Indeed, in the last two years we have been shocked at just how few riders they have and how much the crowd has dwindled.
We have consistently warned the Council of the dangers posed by large horses mixing with members of the public and warned of the inadequacy of hunt insurance. Indeed, two years ago a man and toddler were knocked to the ground at the event.
We have consistently warned the Council that the hunt plays fast and loose with public health and safety, especially by letting people, including young children, interact with the hunt dogs. The potential for the transfer of disease and parasites is high
One tactic that the hunt supporters use year on year is our use of photos to document the event. In the first year, after we posted our photos on line we were inundated with complaints about children being in the photos. Some people politely asked us to blur faces -so we did. However then we noticed very similar photos on the page of a pro-hunt photographer. Comments to her were along the lines of ‘lovely photos, Dawn,’ ‘excellent phots as always.’ We realised then that this issue is simply a stick they use to beat us with. Since then we shoot what we want and post what we want and send a hard-hitting response to any adverse comments – for the avoidance of doubt the only permission we need is from the photographer who holds the copyright. Anyone of any age can be photographed in a public place and those photos can be used without permission – except for commercial purposes when permission would be required.
So, what’s next? The hunt still don’t apply for a road closure. They still don’t take precautions regarding public health and they still don’t apply for a street collection licence. We therefore continue to put pressure on the Council and we feel we are maybe sensing a change in attitude, especially in the Health and Safety Officer.
We’ll also continue to have a presence at the annual propaganda parade and hope to see the number of riders and supporters dwindle even further.
Don’t forget – no matter what, you cannot believe a single word the hunts and their supporters say.
