Does Class War support TOFFBUSTERS?
Nov 20 2004 18:45
From old CW forum
TOFFBUSTERS: Citizens Arrest the hunters!
Ho! Tally Fucking Ho! Ho! Blair's complete cock-up on the hunting bill gives us an unparalleled opportunity to bring class warfare back onto the streeets in the run up to the General Election.
The simple tactic will be to make Citizens Arrests on the hunters on February 18th when hunting becomes illegal. We cannot expect our overworked and underesourced plods to do this so we'll do it for them. After years of them using the law to further their class interests now the boot will be on the other foot. There's been plenty of calls on other threads to do this so lets use this thread to get it organised. We can oppose the Countryside Alliance whenever they show their faces up till Feb 18th but lets make that day the day for action against the fuckers all over the country.And lets be clear from the start - this isnt about animal welfare - its about class warfare making a long overdue return to centre stage. Remember 'reasonable force allowed'!!
The next step.......
Dont think we need get too worried about intricacies of citizens arrest at this stage.. The key element is to make the declaration that we will be attending hunts to prevent any law breaking. The police will be caught in a totally contradictory situation.They have used various laws to prevent people attending strikes - miners - demonstrations - Huntingdon etc - in the past. But we are going specifically to uphold the law - so will they try and stop our carloads of law abiders heading to the nearest hunt and not stop the hunt? The contradiction the police are placed is wonderful - and will open up all sorts of political opportunites depending on the way they act. As Machen points out our way of seeing things may be the common sense way for once!
Once the Countryside Alliance start trying to block access to electricity pylons etc etc the willingness to take action against them will extend far beyond the usual suspects.... it already does in fact.
This doesnt need a centralised campaign it need people to take the initiative locally, publicise their intentions and find out what the local CA and hunts are up to. We can use urban 75 to spread information. I think from response on this thread we already have enough for a Bristol Toffbusters and anyone in the West Country can contact us at toffbusters@yahoo.co.uk - suggest other people set up e-mail contacts by sticking town name in front of toffbusters or whatever you want to call yourselves.The more local groups there are the bigger the impact.
There will also be a leaflet available at the anarchist bookfair this weekend.
Get February 18th in them diaries now!
Nov 21 2004 22:13
#2
PaulMarsh wrote:
Sounds like a good idea - more importantly its nice to be asked!
Well the thread title is a question;) 
Nov 22 2004 08:03
#3
What I meant is we are amazed you have not just gone ahead and done it in the CW name without asking any one.
Nov 22 2004 09:19
#4
class warfare back onto the streeets ....gangster wrote
Two things really:surely you meant class warfare onto the countryside as i dont really see much hunting on the streets,mind you that could change as there are many urban foxes,the CAlliance will be playing a few games like getting farmer giles not to let people onto hes/hers land.Just an example if you do things like what you said you really need to be ahead of them.
The other thing is you spelt streeet wrong.
Nov 22 2004 11:26
#5
Blunkett is already telling the police to be nice to the hunters.
Daily Telegraph 22 November 2004:
Police chiefs will be told to apply common sense when enforcing the ban on hunting, David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, said yesterday.
He indicated that hunts that switched to drag hunting might not face prosecution if their hounds accidentally killed a fox. But if they deliberately sought to flout the law, they would be prosecuted.
Hunters who break the law will be dealt with by police
Mr Blunkett, who had backed the middle way option of registered hunting which was voted down by Labour MPs last week, said the police would fully enforce the ban.
Any attempt to carry on foxhunting in defiance of the Hunting Act would be a challenge to the whole basis of the legal system, he said.
But he would expect the police to enforce the law with "sensitivity" to allow people to get used to the legal changes which take effect on Feb 18.
He made clear that there would be no extra money for chief constables to police the Act. They would have to rely on resources used at present to protect hunts from saboteurs.
"They will use their resources wisely to protect people," he said on ITV's Jonathan Dimbleby programme.
Despite threats by hunt supporters to defy the law, as well as warnings of a campaign of civil disobedience, Mr Blunkett said he hoped confrontation could be avoided.
"I want common sense from those who want to go out with their horses and hounds and I want common sense in the use of police resources. If we can get that right, then what looks at the moment to be a very major challenge will turn out not to be."
However, people who were determined to break the law would be dealt with by the police.
"If people are setting out to enjoy themselves and something happens, and there is a doubt about whether they meant to kill a fox, that is one thing. If they deliberately say they are going to break this law because they don't agree that in our democracy Parliament should have voted this way, then of course the police have to take action."
Senior police officers have said that policing the ban would impose an added burden on them.
Alastair McWhirter, the Chief Constable of Suffolk and spokesman on rural affairs for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said they would be looking to ministers for guidance on what priority they should give the issue. "This is an additional burden. It is going to be challenging. But we are going to deal with what Parliament has passed. That is our job."
Mr McWhirter acknowledged that in some cases it could be difficult to determine if an offence was being committed, as there had to be proof that a wild mammal was being hunted. He emphasised that it was still legal for hunt followers to ride to hounds on drag hunts.
"A person commits the offence if he hunts a wild mammal with a dog. So somebody has to see a wild mammal being hunted.
"We expect to get a lot of calls from people saying, `Look, there are people hunting.' But unless they are actually chasing a wild mammal or have the intent of doing so, they will not be committing an offence."
Otis Ferry, a pro-hunt campaigner and son of the rock star Bryan Ferry, said there would be "mayhem" in the approach to the election expected next May. He was among the protesters who stormed the Commons chamber in September.
Hunting was not just a hobby, it was a way of life, he told BBC TV's Breakfast with Frost programme. "It is total commitment."
Nicholas Soames, the Tory defence spokesman, accused Tony Blair of "lying" about attempts to find a compromise on hunting. He told GMTV's Sunday programme that the Government had behaved "disgracefully".
Nov 23 2004 09:18
#6
[Otis Ferry, a pro-hunt campaigner and son of the rock star Bryan Ferry, said there would be "mayhem" in the approach to the election expected next May. He was among the protesters who stormed the Commons chamber in September.
...What ever happened to him getting into parliment?
If anyone else did what he did they will be in remand with no dobt about getting bird,but otis (sounds like a gerbal) is made out to be some hero,one law for them once again and we will see again and again the toffs gettng away with hunting when it is banned as the above is a classic example.
Nov 23 2004 13:38
#7
Is the cry from hunters in Ireland, who have said that British hunters will not be able to relocate to Ireland when hunting is banned in the UK.
Tally no go!
Nov 30 2004 17:30
#8
In todays Telegraph 30.11.04 Roger Scruton has said he is moving to Virginia USA cos of the foxhunting ban. )
The problem with all these wankers is they never do it - how many said they would leave the country if Labour ever got elected again? And how many did?
Sounds like a good idea - more importantly its nice to be asked!