A 31-year-old man from Eastbourne has been charged with a public order offence following demonstrations at a Boxing Day hunt parade in Lewes High Street, East Sussex. The man is scheduled to appear at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on 22 January.
The annual parade attracted both supporters and protesters, culminating in a total of eight arrests during the event.
Sussex Police confirmed that a 17-year-old boy, a 25-year-old man, a 21-year-old woman, and a 50-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of public order and assault offences have been issued community resolution orders.
Two 16-year-old boys were also arrested in connection with the protests. One faces allegations of a racially aggravated offence and has been referred to the youth offending team, while the other, arrested on suspicion of a public order offence, has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
A 34-year-old woman detained on suspicion of a public order offence has been released without further action.
Organisers of the hunt parade have defended the event, stating it was conducted “within the parameters of the law.”
The Boxing Day hunt parade, a longstanding tradition, has increasingly become a flashpoint for tensions between hunt supporters and animal rights activists. Sussex Police continue to investigate the incidents from the day.
