Hunt vigil begins in Westminster
Hunting’s “Lookout for Livelihood” non-stop vigil begins today in Parliament Square
Hunt supporters and countryside workers began a continuous 24-hour vigil in the capital’s Parliament Square today.
Organisers say it is expected to last until the countryside “receives a fair, impartial and transparent hearing from the government on the hunting issue.”
Protesters participating in the vigil arearriving from different hunts across the UK, and will remain in Westminster on a 24-hour shift basis.
Planned as part of the Countryside Alliance’s “Summer of Discontent”, the demonstration aims to remind ministers of the human cost involved in banning the sport.
The Essex and Suffolk Hunt began the vigil today (Wednesday, 15 May). Hunt follower Bridget Chamberlain told Horse & Hound Online: “We’re here for everybody, even if you don’t support hunting.We’re here to make sure the minority can exist with the majority. It’s a stand for liberty, for everybody to keep doing what they like – especially when the government’s own inquiry established that there is no real reason for a ban.”
Another protestor Sally Greenlees said: “What the government does not understand is that hunting and shooting pays for the countryside to look as beautiful as it does. We maintain the paths and woodland. A year of foot-and-mouth, with nohunting and no sheep grazing has shown us how quickly the countryside can change.”
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A series of themed events to coincide with Prime Minister’s Questions is planned and a petition will also be handed to the Prime Minister on a daily basis, signed by hunting supporters.
Read more about the fight for hunting:
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