The Mass Meet DECLARATION DAY 1.11.2003 BACK At least 37,000 signed the Hunting Declaration today Eleven Mass Meets were held on Saturday 1st November and a twelth (in the North West) on Friday 31st October. Galleries may be found for the following meets. Published by foxhunters.net | Kent 1 (below) | Kent 2 | Kent 3 | Kent 4 | Malvern | Honiton | Published by other sites Newbury 1 | Newbury 2 | Builth Wells | Melton | STICKERS DOWNLOAD ENVELOPE AND CAR STICKERS - right click on the links and "Save link to disk" (Adobe PDF files). All except the car stickers are based on Avery 161 series labels - 18/page Declaration car sticker HERE Declaration sticker HERE General envelope sticker - thank you Clive. HERE Text only envelope sticker - thank you again Clive. HERE REMEMBER - Many more stickers HERE Kent A huge thank you to all who were there, to the OSBWK for hosting this tremendous event. More than 5,000 turned out and traffic was so bad that others were turned away. 450+ came mounted and between us more than 2,703 Declarations were signed. We were the only meet with antis - One man, his wife and 6 friends - interesting when the sabs were claiming mass demonstrations!! Click on the thumbnail to view a larger image. Click HERE for the Alliance Press Release The above photographs © G. Beard Setting up for signing up The East Kent The counter demonstration - (2 of them) Hounds arrive and one draws the burger van. Traffic queued back to the M26 Young and old Ferreters Beagles The Hunts' Staff . . and stiil they came The Ashford Valley Brisk trade Taken seriously - the declaration was read with care . . . . and signed with resolution. Some of the 350+ The OSBWK hounds. Totals across the country before the end Mark Bycroft spoke with humour and a passion that reflected the audience. Bill Andrewes - Deputy Chairman of the Board Otterhounds COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE Press Release 37,000 pledge peaceful civil disobedience to unjust law 37,000 of the most law abiding people in Britain have today pledged to peacefully disobey any unjust law banning hunting, and to submit themselves to trial and punishment. From Trimdon to Tonbridge, and from Honiton to Ipswich, tens of thousands of have signed the Hunting Declaration at 12 mass meets on the day of the traditional start of the hunting season. Simon Hart, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, speaking from the gathering in Newbury, said: "Today 37,000 people who would never normally consider breaking the law, and who desperately do not want to have to disobey a potential hunting ban, have made a serious and solemn commitment. It is time for those politicians whose prejudiced and unfounded attacks on hunting have led us to this point to question whether they can continue to justify their obsessive pursuit of a ban. "Civil disobedience is a very serious step, and breaking the law is wrong, but in the case of patently unjust legislation which ignores evidence and principle we believe that someone who has examined their conscience, and is satisfied that what they are doing is not inherently wrong, has a social right to draw attention to injustice by openly breaking the law. Provided that is that they meet their obligations to society by submitting themselves to trial and punishment. "Like them we hope that the Government chooses a more sensible route and that those who have today signed the Hunting Declaration will never have to deliver on their commitment". For more information contact the Press Office on 020 7840 9220 or 07775938 792 All photographs © Nick Onslow 2003 BACK