A documentary in which northeast animal rights activist Clive Swinsco speaks with five pioneers of the movement about their experiences of both direct action and political activism leading to the Hunting Act 2004. Those featured include Dave Wetton, a founder member of the Hunt Saboteur Association, Ronnie Lee, a founder member of the Animal Liberation Front, Chris Williamson, Labour Member of Parliament for Derby North and ex-chair of the League against Cruel Sports and ‘John’ whose identity...

A documentary in which northeast animal rights activist Clive Swinsco speaks with five pioneers of the movement about their experiences of both direct action and political activism leading to the Hunting Act 2004. Those featured include Dave Wetton, a founder member of the Hunt Saboteur Association, Ronnie Lee, a founder member of the Animal Liberation Front, Chris Williamson, Labour Member of Parliament for Derby North and ex-chair of the League against Cruel Sports and ‘John’ whose identity remains anonymous due to his activism. The film opens in a woodland with a stream flowing through it. Title: Warning: This film contains graphic footage from the start. Film of hunts and hunting was taken before the Hunting Act 2004 Shot with a video camera, in the distance on the edge of a wood a man in a red hunting coat riding a horse. Inside the wood a brief view of hounds killing a fox followed by man on horseback leading the hound pack out of the wood. Outside St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, an anti-hunt protest march with those taking part wearing red jackets. Some in the group bang drums, other carry banners reading ‘I Stand with the Animals’ and ‘Time to Really Ban Hunting in Scotland… For the Foxes’. Someone in a fox’s costumes leads the procession along the Royal Mile. Title: Pioneers of the Animal Liberation Activism The faces of each of the six participants in the film appear in screen, the film focuses in on Clive Swinsco. Title: In conversation with fellow activists. To camera Clive Swinsco talks about how from an early age he had then a sentimental interest in animal welfare. He talks about becoming an activist and member of the Northeast Council of Hunt Saboteurs after learned about the Brae of Derwent Hunt near his family home at Consett in County Durham and taking part in sabotaging the Northern Counties Otter Hunts. He was an been a saboteur for 15 years. As he talks video of fox hounds and a hunt followed by hounds being lead through a town past protestors carrying banners one of which reads ‘Stop Killing Our Wildlife’. Title: ‘Legal’ conflict Clive Swinsco speaks with Dave Wetton, Sue Haugh, Ronne Lee, and Chris Williamson about theirs as well as other colleagues’ conflict with the police and justice system. Most have served time in prison for various activities and each talk about what they’ve done and why they did it. Sue Hough says that when they were younger, they didn’t care about consequences, she never thought she’d be caught. Still images and newspaper clips are used to help illustrate some of the events discussed. Chris Williamson described being assaulted by members of a hunt and being arrested for ‘breach of the peace’ by the police when he tried to report his assault. Video of members of a hunt with hounds digging out a fox den with spades. Clive Swinsco describes a ‘dig out’ he witnessed in Scotland lasting three-and-a-half hours and how the police prevented him and other protestors getting near it. Video of the fox is pulled from the den by its tail and thrown to the hounds to kill. ‘This is sport to them’ ends Clive. Title: Early days Clive Swinsco speaks with Dave Wetton and later ‘John’ about how both first became involved in the animal rights movement. Dave started in 1962 when he became a member of both the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and the League Against Cruel Sports going to hunts in the North London area with banners. ‘John’ says he was married to it aged eighteen when he heard about the seal culls in Canada and animals being hunted for sport in Africa. It was only later he learned about animal cruelty in the United Kingdom with the likes of fox hunting and wanting to protect these animals. Again, video of hunters digging out a fox with one hunter carrying a pistol and chasing a fox around a field. Title: Hunt Saboteurs Dave Wetton, Sue Haugh and Chris Williamson talk about how they started with the Hunt Saboteur Association during the 1960s and 1970s and about some of their early protests they participated in around Devon, Oxfordshire and Derbyshire. Chris Williamson arrives at a café and orders a coffee before discussed links between the Vegetarian Society and the Labour movements which he has been part of since his teenage years. Dave Wetton talks about the need for hunt saboteurs not only to rescue animals, but also become more political and work towards the abolishing of hunting. Title: ‘Band of Mercy’ ALF: Animal Liberation Front From behind the counter of ‘The Vegan Hub’ Ronnie Lee talks about the origins of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) which was originally called ‘Band of Mercy.’ He talks about the revival of direct action initially against hunts, but later against a laboratory in Milton Keynes which did experiments on animals as well as on fish boats in The Wash in Lincolnshire which were involved in seal culls. They also attacked farms which bred and supplied animals to these laboratories. Eventually he was arrested and prosecuted and in 1975 was imprisoned for 3 years. Sue Hough talks about how she became involved with the ALF and the many close friends, including Ronnie Lee, she made in the organisation. Back with Ronnie who explains with the organisation expanding the reasons behind changing the name from ‘Band of Mercy’ to the ALF. Title: BBC: Open Door Dave Wetton and Sue Haugh discuss their involvement in an edition of the BBC programme ‘Open Door’ in 1975 about the Hunt Saboteur Association. They talked about the work the did in preparing for the programme including using a clip from an 8mm film of a hunt produced by Bob Smith is shown again here. They go onto discuss the incredible response they had following it screening and how Dave’s home became an unofficial HQ for the association. Clive Swinsco speaks with ‘John’ again about the importance of going undercover within hunt organisation on order to collect powerful images of what is going on. More video content from fox den being dug out with hounds gathered around it. It is at this point that John is identified as being its producer. Clive makes the final comment about how work such as his have brought about a change in the law and the banning of hunting. Dave Wetton talks about ‘hunter vicar demos’ in which he and others from the ALF would demonstrate in the parishes of what he describes as ‘hypocritical vicars’, clerics who are also masters of various hunts. Several examples are given, and photographs are used from an event in Dorset showing a poster that reads ‘Thou Shall Not Kill’ and another painting showing an otter crucified on a cross. Title: Wellies and co. Sue Haugh talks about an all-female group of saboteurs called ‘Wellies and Co’. The Hunt Saboteur Association was a male dominated organisation and they wanted to show that women didn’t need protecting and can be just as tough as men. The name came from the fact they always wore wellington boots. Title: A Flawed Act Dave Wetton and Ronnie Lee discuss the flaws in the Hunting Act 2004. Ronnie believes fox hounds should not be allowed out at all for ‘trail hunting’ as it still puts wildlife in danger. They both discuss the issue that thousands of hounds being killed each year, the meat then being fed back to the other dogs. John talks about how hunts can be so obstructive even with the police. Dave Wetton talks about how the law requires the police to prove the red coats have the intention of killing the fox. At the anti-hunt protest in Edinburgh a banner reads ‘Hunting is NOT a sport, both sides should know they’re in the game’ To camera Clive Swinsco describes how devious a red coat can be when they know that a trail hunt is about hunting foxes, it’s the ethos of the event. Dave Wetton believes all hunts should be banned as he believes all hunts are disobeying the Hunting Act. Protestors, some in fox masks, walk along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh as part of the anti-hunt protest, other carry banner reading ‘I Want A Real Fox Hunting Ban’. Clive Swinsco asked Ronnie Lee if it is acceptable to break the law to further a cause, he replies the law isn’t sacristan, it is morally wrong to torture or slaughter animals and any actions to prevent and save animals are rightful action. On the question of ‘direct action’ this does play a part in applying pressure to bringing about legal change, but it needs to part of a political process. Chris Williamson sees those who take part in ‘direct action’ through the ages as being pioneers. Title: Philosophy Clive Swinsco asks those in the film what is the difference between ‘animal rights’ and ‘animal liberation.’ Sue Hough prefers the term ‘animal liberation’, she wants people to respect animals and stop exploiting them and using them as a commodity. Both John and Chris Williamson comment how animals have a right to life and dignity, being free from pain and cruelty. Ronnie Lee thinks in terms of ‘liberation’ as it is wrong for humans to oppress animals. Clive then asked the question of the value animals over people. John values human life above animals, but they are not far behind. Sue Hough says that if you are against the oppression of animals, you can’t be against the oppression of people. Clive sees that while humans have dominance over animals, we also have a responsibility for other species. John asks why we have dominance and that we need to put something back to evolution. Sue Hough wants humans to open their eye to animals having feelings such as pain. Ronnie Lee talks about speciesism or human supremacism and how the economic system works against animal rights. What is needed is the abolish of capitalism as it is harmful to the environment. As Ronnie talks photographs of battery hens and pigs. Chris Williamson talks about the ‘unanswerable argument’ that even if someone isn’t concerned about cruelty, it's about the survival of humanity and the planet. Sue Hough sees it as sad animals are suffering, the plant is heating up and people around the world are starving because of money, power and control. Title: The Future Chris Williamson sees animal rights as being intrinsically linked to the environmental movement. Ronnie Lee wants to see more ‘active’ and less passive vegans actively promoting veganism. Sue Hough has faith in younger people, as she talks three young women at the protest in Edinburgh pose for the camera with a smile while another group protest on a farm. John wants us to treat both animals and the environment with respect, he concludes by saying he has seen more beauty in nature than all the artworks of man. Title: “What everyone can do” To camera Clive Swinsco asks the viewer to think about how they affect the planet. He ends with a quote from Friends of the Earth; think globally but act locally. Title: Pioneers of the Animal Liberation Activism Credits: Directed by Faze3films Presented by Clive Swinsco Pioneers in order of appearance: Clive Swinsco, Dave Wetton, Sue Haugh, Ronnie Lee, Chris Williamson, ‘John’ Filmed by Faze3films Additional film produced by ‘John’: Historical hunting and digging out. Clive Swinsco: Badger cull demonstration. Bob Smith: Hare coursing footage Photo credits: M. Huskisson, D. Wetton, G. Mash, farmsanctuary.org, Foter.com Thanks to Zoe Flynn, Mary Innes, Eileen Kehoe, Becky Kinghorn, Cee Wetton, Sheffield Hunt Saboteurs Original Music 3 Blind Mice composed and performed by George Milburn The faces of the films participants and their names appear one more time End credit: © Faze3films 2023