The police this morning confirmed they identified a man who yesterday verbally abused participants during an activity by the Spring Hunting Out (SHout) campaign in Birkirkara.

Addressing a news conference in Buskett this morning, activist Mark Sultana said the campaign knew that this man was a hunter.

He expressed disappointment that, rather than support from the opposite side following yesterday’s incident, there was speculation that the incident was a set up.

During today's news conference, campaigners outlined crimes by hunters against birds and innocent bystanders at the Buskett protected woodland over many years.

The most recent incident, they said, was on September 21 following a violent protest in Valletta after the Prime Minister closed hunting season.

A mob of some 30 angry hunters, they said, attacked 13 people who were watching migrating birds as they came in to roost. Those attacked included a seven-year-old child.

“Stones were thrown, a camera was broken and an elderly gentleman sustained a broken jaw,” spokesman Mark Sultana said.

One of the people remembered that, on Independence Day 20 years earlier, he had also been attacked by hunters in the same place.

He said that the FKNK’s response to the incident was that it understood the hunters’ frustration at being prevented from practising their passion. 

“This is the true face of the FKNK.  They effectively condone violence and they are bullies who have used intimidation to get their way for too long.  No one should believe the faces and image of the IVA campaign.  It is just a mask that the hunting community is trying to hide behind,” he said.

Mr Sultana said that on February 17, 2008, also in Buskett, there had also been an arson attack on three birdwatchers’ cars.

“This was yet another dramatic incident in a catalogue of attacks on innocent people and their property.”

Mr Sultana said that although Buskett was a bird sanctuary where hunting was forbidden, hunters still shot birds there.

Buskett was in fact where rare eagles were massacred in 2013.  This was only one of many incidents of illegal killing of birds by hunters under the cover of the official hunting season.

“Voting no in the referendum would ensure this would not happen in spring in future.”

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