BEHIND THE MASKS
WHAT IS BEHIND THE MASKS?
Behind The Masks is a platform for exposing criminality and anti-social behaviour by so-called 'hunt saboteurs'. Our work is supported by local communities and hunting groups across the country.
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These self-described 'non-violent' groups claim to monitor illegal fox hunting and protect wildlife. In reality they intimidate and harass people and horses taking part in legal trail hunting. In many instances, their tactics involve violence directed towards participants and bystanders alike.​
Behind The Masks exists to bring accountability and justice to these wannabe vigilantes. We seek to expose those engaging in criminal behaviour and provide a voice to communities that are blighted by these thugs.
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Saboteurs have hidden behind their ski masks and balaclavas for too long. It's time we find out who are behind the masks.
WHO ARE SABOTEURS?
Saboteurs – or Sabs as they call themselves – are groups of anti-hunting activists who patrol the countryside looking to disrupt hunts. They are often dressed in black ski masks or other face coverings and are known to carry weapons including clubs and nightsticks.
Although these groups claim to be animal rights activists, many of their members are little more than petty thugs looking for a way to start a fight behind a thin veil of moral outrage. They have been known to physically attack hunt participants; knocking riders off their horses and in many instances actually harming animals which they claim to protect.
These groups are highly organised and operate across the country. Rural police forces are already stretched thin and often struggle to bring these criminals to justice, especially when they operate anonymously and in distant fields and hedgerows. Behind The Masks seeks to even the playing field, by exposing this behaviour and naming the individuals involved.