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For The Foxes March in Edinburgh 2018

March 26, 2018 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Fox hunting protest Edinburgh 2018
Seems reasonable.
Seems reasonable.

If you asked most people if fox hunting was banned in Scotland, they’d say yes it is. A piece of legislation was passed sixteen years ago by the Scottish Parliament called The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002. Most MSPs and members of the public thought this would mark an end to the barbaric practice of fox hunting in Scotland. We were first with the smoking ban and also this. Scotland was paving the way for progressive legislation in the UK! Or was it..?

A wonderful handmade sign.
A wonderful handmade sign.

Well, the trouble is that the Act has so many loopholes in it, that it’s simply not fit for purpose. Trail hunting is allowed (where horses and hounds are supposed to follow a scent trail only.) This is completely stupid, as trails of fox urine are laid (how do they even collect that?) and the hunts take place in areas where there are foxes running around. You can’t blame the hounds for following a trail of fox scent only to eventually find a real fox. It’s all a complete con. There’s an alternative to trail hunting called drag hunting, where non-animal scent is used in areas where there are no foxes. Doing drag hunting would lead to far fewer ‘accidental’ fox killings, but it seems the hunts are more than happy for these ‘accidents’ to happen pretty regularly.

One of the more subtle dressers.
One of the more subtle dressers.

Another type of hunting that’s allowed in Scotland is called ‘flushing to guns.’ This means that hounds are allowed to flush out a fox from cover, so the huntsmen can shoot the fox ‘humanely’. Give me a break. If Scotland likes to think of itself as so progressive, the government may have trouble explaining why only two dogs are allowed for this type of hunting in England and Wales, but a whole pack are allowed under Scottish law.

Many celebrities back the campaign.
Many celebrities back the campaign.

There were ten hunts in Scotland, mainly in the Borders, when the Act came into force. Today there are, erm, ten. So essentially it seems that the hunts are doing as they please and getting away with breaking the law on a weekly basis. The reason so much is known about the illegal activities of hunts in Scotland and elsewhere is because of the quite fearless Hunt Saboteurs. The hunt sabs are absolute heroes in my eyes. They literally (and I mean literally) risk life and limb to expose illegal hunts, document what they find on film and stop foxes from being killed.

Representing the wonderful hunt sabs
Representing the wonderful hunt sabs

Hunt sabs are regularly verbally and physically abused by those participating in illegal hunts, many of whom are members of the establishment who presumably feel they should be above the law. I could go on and on about how wonderful the sabs are, but I’ll let you read more about their relentless bravery on their website. They save hounds who have got themselves into accidents though running across roads or getting caught in fences when the hunt doesn’t care. They trek miles on foot across uneven fields for hours on end to protect the lives of the foxes. They endure abuse from the hunts and apathy from the police at every turn and still go back for more.

There were many costumes
There were many costumes

   And so, it was on Saturday 24th March that over five hundred people, including me, took part in a protest march in Edinburgh. We marched from St. Giles cathedral, down the Royal Mile, to the Scottish Parliament building. There were people dressed as foxes, people blowing hunting horns and everyone was there to spread the message that the hunt should be banned. An overwhelming majority – 80% of our fellow Scots – want to see an end to fox hunting in Scotland. There were representatives from Scottish Labour, the Scottish Greens and the SNP. Also speaking were IFAW, The League Against Cruel Sports and the main organiser, One Kind – an Edinburgh based charity that opposes animal cruelty.

For The Foxes
For The Foxes

We will get this done. It’s only a matter of time.
#ForTheFoxes

Filed Under: Vegan News Tagged With: animals, cruelty, fox hunting, foxes, protest

Protest!

October 10, 2015 by Tofu Temptress 1 Comment

This issue is a no-brainer for most people
Standard bearers
Standard bearers

I have a confession to make. Although I’ve been what acquaintances have often referred to as ‘one of those animal rights people’ for the thick end of thirty years, I have never attended a formal protest. Having staged small, individual protests at school (refusing to cook with meat in home economics, opting out of the ‘humans are superior to animals’ rhetoric in religious education classes, that sort of thing) I found them to be quite useful. Even if my little acts of non conformity didn’t affect immediate change, they certainly made people stop and think. Those who stick to the norm through passiveness are often pleasantly surprised by someone who takes a different path. It makes them go ‘hmm’ and it plants a seed in their brain.

Costumes are encouraged
Costumes are encouraged

It was with this lack of experience in mind that I, somewhat apprehensively, joined the Edinburgh March Against Extinction on Saturday 3rd October, organised by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The march was a protest against the exploitation and needless killing of Rhinos, Lions and Elephants in Africa and was just one of many such marches taking place globally over the weekend.

Awareness of this problem was of course given quite a shot in the arm by the recent case of poor Cecil the lion, who was murdered by an American dentist. It seems that lions are not only hunted for fun (and in exchange for lots and lots of money) but also bred and raised to be petted by tourists. They’re kept in captivity and then when they get too big to be cuddly they are released to be hunted by rich idiots with more money than sense.

Marching for elephants, lions and rhinos
Marching for elephants, lions and rhinos

Elephants fare little better, with one being killed every fifteen minutes, according to the Trust’s website. They’re killed for their tusks, despite being worth more to the tourist trade alive. Scant regard is given to the fact that elephants are social animals who play a vital role not only in their own herds but to the ecosystem in general. There are even some countries in Africa where the elephant is already extinct – Senegal and Sierra Leone, to name but two.

Rhinos are killed for their horn which is believed, wrongly, to have medicinal benefits by some cultures, mostly in China. Rhino horn does nothing to help headaches or impotence or any other ailments. All it does is kill Rhinos, who are another precious species we must save from extinction.

The friendly folks from Network for Animals
The friendly folks from Network for Animals

The protest itself went very well. A warm Edinburgh day (yes, you read that correctly) attracted over a hundred people to march from the Scottish Parliament, through the streets of Edinburgh, to the square outside the Scottish National Gallery. On arrival I met some friendly types from Network for Animals, a small charity concerned with affecting change throughout the world on all sorts of animal welfare issues. They offered me a placard, which I gratefully accepted (I’d been too disorganised to make my own) and we set off, chanting and chatting and hoping we’d make an impact.

Some made their own, very effective placards
Some made their own, very effective placards

On our way we passed many people (Edinburgh’s always pretty busy on a Saturday) who seemed to smile and stare, but were mainly preoccupied with taking our picture. However others, including several groups of tourists atop the open top bus, (whom we must’ve been delaying due to the brief road closures) waved and gave us the thumbs up, showing I think that this issue is a no brainer for most people.

This issue is a no-brainer for most people
This issue is a no-brainer for most people

On arrival at the National Gallery, we were treated to talks by those running the march, giving us more information. A crowd had gathered, so I really hope we touched some other people with the plight of African wildlife and perhaps inspired them to action.

A small but passionate bunch
A small but passionate bunch

The outrage surrounding Cecil’s death shows that the public do care, but we simply need to harness that outrage and direct it in such a way that gets through to the hunters and breeders and poachers. We need to let them know that the money should be in caring for the environment and keeping wildlife alive, not ruining the ecosystem exploiting animals for profit. The killing must stop, or else extinction of these beautiful creatures will happen, and soon.

If you’d like to know more about the plight of wildlife in Africa, and perhaps do something to help, check out the following:

Animal lovers all
Animal lovers all

The Born Free Foundation
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Save the Elephants
Save the Rhinos International
Mahouts Elephant Foundation
Boon Lotts Elephant Sanctuary
Network For Animals
Four Paws

 

 

Filed Under: Cruelty free Living Tagged With: animals, Edinburgh, elephants, lions, protest, rhinos

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