Members of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports came under attack while gathering evidence of hare coursing cruelty in Ballinagar, County Offaly on Monday 30 October. A balaclava-clad thug, with all the appearances of a gangland criminal, rushed us while we were filming from a public area overlooking the coursing field. The thug charged at the cameraman roaring "give me the camera, give me that f***ing camera". He proceeded to manhandle him, trying to drag him from the car and attempting to grab the video camera. He forced our car door open and clung to the side of the vehicle, only letting go when the vehicle started picking up speed. As we drove away, he ran out on to the road menacingly. This is the latest incidence of thuggery, violence and intimidation by the coursers in their desperate attempt to prevent evidence of their cruelty being exposed to an increasingly disgusted public. The Gardai arrived on the scene - apparently summoned by the coursers who falsely claimed we were filming from private property. They lied to the Gardai and wasted their time in an effort to try and get us to stop recording. While speaking to the Gardai and ensuring them that we always stay within the law, we outlined the terror tactics used by the coursers. We did manage to obtain video footage today and yesterday of the awful plight of the hares. The terrified creatures could be seen desperately running for their lives from the dogs in this shameful blood sport licensed by Minister Humphreys and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. See our footage at https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/1472113056237581/ We will not be deterred by coursing thugs and will continue exposing the ugly truth about their shameful activity until coursing is banned and the Irish Hare is fully protected. Please join us as we renew our appeal to Minister Heather Humphreys to withdraw the 2017-18 coursing licence she issued. It is time for the government to side with the decent majority who want coursing banned instead of facilitating the thuggish brutes who get their pleasure from watching animals running for their lives. URGENT ACTION ALERT Contact Minister Heather Humphreys and the NPWS and urge them to withdraw the coursing licence and put in place permanent protection for hares. Heather Humphreys, TD Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs 23 Kildare Street, Dublin 2 Email: Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie, ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie, taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie, wildlifelicence@ahg.gov.ie, Gerry.Leckey@ahg.gov.ie Phone the Minister: +353 (0)1 631 3802 or +353 (0)1 631 3800 Phone the NPWS: Tel: +353 (0)1 888 3289 Leave a comment on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/heather.humphreysfg Tweet to: @HHumphreysFG The Irish Hare is a protected species but an exemption for coursing in the Animal Health and Welfare Act means coursers are not liable for prosecution for their cruelty. Join us in our call to the government to remove the exemption and provide full and permanent protection to this cherished species. Contact An Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar and An Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Frances Fitzgerald and ask them to ban hare coursing and give permanent protection to hares. An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar Department of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings, Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2 Telephone: +353 (0)1-6194020 Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie,frances.fitzgerald@oir.ie Tweet to: @campaignforLeo Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/