[Watch] Hunters threaten to attack Castille and ‘kill anything that flies’

Just hours after the government announced the closure of the autumn hunting season, hunters have responded by threatening to “kill anything that flies” and attacking Castille, and by burning the Labour Party’s flag.

The threats – which were published by hunters on Facebook – and the video, which was also published on the social network site and YouTube come in the wake of a prime ministerial intervention leading to the closure of the autumn hunting season until 10 October.

In the first screen shot, a hunter called on fellow hunters to carry out a “revolution,” and urged “everyone to go out and shooting anything that flies.” In his post, the hunter insisted that this – rather than the illegal killing of protected birds – should justify the government’s decision to close the autumn hunting season.

Moreover, another person is instigating hunters to attack Castille Office, saying, “they should already be at Castille, and that they should not leave a chair or table.” Meanwhile, another commentator said that hunters should defy the hunting ban and hunt anyway, saying that “the government will not arrest 10,000 hunters.”

In a video published on Facebook and YouTube, hunters are seen burning the Labour Party flag in response to the government’s decision. In the video, a man could be heard threatening the government that “without hunting, there would be no vote” (Bla kacca m’hemmx vot).

Just hours after the government announced a hunting ban, hunters have threatened to "kill anything that flies," and instigated to attack Castille.

Moreover, other hunters said they would be organising a protest at City Gate.

In their protest entitled ‘Protesta Kontra t-Twaqqif tal-Istagun tal-Kacca’, the organisers said that promises were broken, and that the hunters are “hurt by the government’s disrespectful decision to close the hunting season.”

Hunters have responded to the government's autumn hunting ban by burning the Labour Party's flag.

On Saturday, the government announced that it would immediately stop the hunting season.

In a statement, the government cited the “following the recent incidents where criminals repeatedly targeted protected birds” as the reason to its decision.

“We were clear from the start that while agreeing that hunters’ rights should be protected, abuses will not be tolerated,” it said.

Noting that the majority of hunters respected the laws, a small group of criminals were however causing harm to the rest. The government said increased penalties and enforcement did not deter the criminal acts, “with some thinking they could go on doing whatever they like”.

At least two White Storks and two Marsh Harriers were shot dead this week while a picture of a Honey Buzzard with severe shotgun injuries flying over Buskett was released. The second confirmed killing of the protected White Storks took place on Friday morning in Mellieha.

In a reaction, hunters’ lobby FKNK suspended its participation in the Ornis Committee, the body recommending the dates for the opening of hunting seasons, in protest at what it said was the government's "discriminatory action" to close down the hunting season.

Moreover, hunters association Kaccaturi San Ubertu (KSU) said it considered collective punishment as a counterproductive measure that reflects badly on Government’s immense efforts to regulate hunting.

Dubbing the measures as “draconian,” KSU also said that the small minority undermining hunting should not castigate the majority that are responsible for their actions.