Hunters vow to defy ban

2003-11-01 20:14

London - Thousands of hunting enthusiasts vowed on Saturday to defy a proposed ban on hunting with hounds, gathering at rallies around the country on the first day of hunting season to protest lawmakers' effort to outlaw their sport.

The Countryside Alliance, a pro-hunting group, said thousands had signed a pledge to support a campaign of civil disobedience against any law that bans traditional fox hunts.

"Our common bond is a simple message. The message is 'No to unjust law,"' the alliance's chief executive, Simon Hart, told about three thousand supporters at the Newbury Showground in Berkshire, west of London. "I will not stand by and see the destruction of jobs, of communities, of my friends and my family and your friends and your family."

The sport, in which hunters on horseback follow packs of dogs in pursuit of foxes and other game animals, arouses strong feelings around the country, with opponents calling it cruel and unnecessary, and supporters calling it a valued rural tradition that provides needed jobs.

It's been the subject of years of wrangling in Parliament.

Limited, regulated hunting

Last month, the House of Lords reversed a complete ban that the House of Commons had approved, amending it to allow limited, regulated hunting and sending the bill back to the lower body for another vote.

In order to become law, bills must ordinarily be approved by the Lords, Parliament's unelected upper chamber, which can amend and delay legislation. If the Commons votes again for a total ban, Prime Minister Tony Blair's government will have to decide whether to side-step the Lords and force a ban onto the statute books by invoking rarely used legislation known as the Parliament Act.

The Hunting Bill, the government's attempt at a compromise, originally would have allowed hunting to continue under strict regulations. But in July, lawmakers in the House of Commons amended the bill and voted for a total ban.

The hunting supporters gathered at 12 hunting grounds around England and Wales, with some of the rallies drawing thousands of people, according to the Countryside Alliance.

"I am a farmer's wife, and hunting is an integral part of our life," said Paula Wyatt attending a rally in Devon, southwestern England. "I feel so strongly I am happy to break the law."

- AP