“Animal-Lovers”

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6628, 15 August 1931, Page 13

“Animal-Lovers”

FRACAS AT STAG HUNT, LONDON, August 6. A demonstration against stag-hunt-ing organised by the League for the Prohibition of Blood-sports, caused a free fight at Minehead. Members of the league had affixed posters such as “Stag-hunting is not Cricket,” and “Abolish Shameful Sports!” to the fences of tho field in which the “meet” of the. Devon and Somerset Staghounds had been arranged. They marched there in procession, bearing banners similarly blazoned. At first they were received with laughter but, later a crowd of some thousands gathered, including women, whose husbands depend upon the hunting for their livelihood. A horseman, cracking his whip, rode in among tho league members, and knocked the secretary down, while a woman seized a banner, tore it up and trampled it in the mud.

Horsemen jostled the demonstrators, and a fracas developed. Turf, bottles and mud were thrown, mackintoshes and umbrellas wero torn, women were knocked down, and attempts were made to duck the demonstrators in the river. It, was necessary to invoke police protection. Officials of the hunt took no part in tho counter-demonstration.