Monday 21 September 2009

Crime in the countryside


Just in case anyone doubts the anarchist/terrorist motivation of some antis, here's a bunch of loonies bragging about how they bravely set fire to some wooden shooting butts and smashed a pheasant pen.

I can (just about) stomach people who're concerned about the potential for cruelty in shooting, or who think we have a bad effect on the environment - especially if they're willing to find out for themselves and make up their own minds.

The bragging 'liberationists' are something else. These people are not only stark raving mad, they are dangerous, and they're in the countryside burning and smashing. Encouraged by 'legitimate' animal welfare organisations, they do untold harm around the world (examples from the US here).

I do hope the authorities treat this as seriously as they do looking for people 'persecuting' birds of prey.

6 comments:

Alan Tilmouth said...

Both sides of the conservation/shooting argument have their extremists. thankfully they are in the minority. I cannot think of a single conservation organisation in the UK that would condone this kind of behaviour. Criminal behaviour is criminal behaviour regardless of intention or motive.

James Marchington said...

It's not a case of shooting OR conservation. They're the same thing.

And it's not hard to make connections - follow the career of Robin Webb, for example, from RSPCA council to Animal Aid, to ALF terrorist.

Alan Tilmouth said...

I think your confusing the views and actions of an individual with those of an organisation.The fact that he no longer represents the RSPCA since taking up his 'PR' role should speak for itself.

Hubert Hubert said...

I used to be an anarcho-vegan myself, back in the day. I certainly used to have friends whose pet dogs had been 'liberated' from research facilities and I used to know people socially who were imprisoned for (so called) ALF 'direct action'. Perhaps their views have changed, by now, as much as mine have?

HH

James Marchington said...

It's a little known fact that I used to spend a bit of time hanging round with some hunt sab types, including the charming Mr Webb in the years before he starred in that TV documentary.

By and large the footsoldiers were nice people, well intentioned if somewhat misinformed and with some class hang-ups they hadn't really thought through.

It was the leaders that worried me, with their 1000-yard stares, nervous tics, hair-trigger tempers and hidden agendas. I've seen parallels in guerilla/terrorist movements worldwide.

The process by which a caring person becomes radicalised and manipulated by such people is worthy of close study.

Holly Heyser said...

Hubert Hubert, I would love to hear the story of how you got from there to where you are now!