Protest heads to Birmingham to demand stronger hunting laws
Protestors took to Birmingham’s main shopping centre on Thursday to urge shoppers to back a campaign to see controversial hunting laws strengthened.
A ‘huntsman’ carrying a (fake) fox covered in blood also paraded through the city centre’s High Street accompanied by the sound of baying hunt hounds.
The event was organised by national animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports ahead of the government’s consultation on fox hunting, which is believed to be launching this autumn.
It is the latest in a series of protests organised by the charity that have caused a stir in towns and cities and online, with local news sites’ Facebook pages drawing thousands of reactions and comments as the campaigners seek to expose the savagery of fox hunting that still takes place two decades after it was banned.
John Petrie, the League’s senior campaigns manager, and the man in the red coat, said: “Fox hunting has been illegal for 20 years and yet this blood sport continues across the West Midlands – and the rest of the UK. Foxes are still being chased and killed and havoc is being inflicted on rural communities by the hunts.
“Birmingham’s residents, shocked by the sight of a hunter in red coat and blood-spattered fox, came up to us today to let us know they support stronger fox hunting laws as a way to end fox hunting for good.
“Their views are shared by the public across the region, and the government’s consultation could be a pivotal moment in ensuring illegal hunting is finally consigned to the dustbin of history - as it should have been two decades ago.”
Polling commissioned last year by the League and carried out by FindOutNow with further analysis by Electoral Calculus showed almost three-quarters (74 per cent) of the public in Birmingham supported strengthening the Hunting Act.
Figures published by the League following the last hunting season (August 2024 to April 2025) show the extent of suspected illegal hunting taking place in the counties around Birmingham – West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire.
There were 36 incidents of suspected illegal hunting with 31 reports of foxes being pursued, and 65 reports of hunts causing havoc in rural communities.
The hunt havoc reports are incidents entirely inconsistent with so-called trail hunting - whereby hunts say they follow a pre-laid scent – such as hounds running loose on roads (including five reports of collision caused by the hunts), railway trespass, other trespass, livestock worrying, badger sett interference and threatening and irresponsible behaviour.
John added: “If trail hunting was real, hunts would not be in these places and causing such harm to communities.
“It’s time to properly strengthen the Hunting Act and end all hunting with hounds and we urge the public to take part in the forthcoming consultation and demand an end to hunting wildlife with dogs.
- Find out more about the forthcoming consultation, and how to make your voice heard, here: https://www.league.org.uk/hunting_consultation