The deputy of the North Dimitri Houbron during a hunt with hounds in Compiègne, in the Oise.
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AVA
A hunt was held on Saturday in the forest of Compiègne, in the Oise.
The deputy Lrem Dimitri Houbron had decided to come incognito as an observer with activists of the association AVA.
The elected representative denounces a tense climate, and even violence, on the part of the "walkers", a kind of order service for hunters.
It's the dumpling.
Last Saturday, as often, a hunting party was organized in the forest of Compiègne, in the Oise.
And as often also, activists of the association AVA were present to observe the progress of the hunt.
Except that this time, among them and incognito, was Dimitri Houbron, deputy of the North (Lrem).
The elected official, openly opposed to traditional hunts, wanted to realize for himself the tensions reported by the media and on social networks between the pro and the anti venery.
He was not disappointed by the eventful reception he received.
Deputy of the majority, Dimitri Houbron does not hide his opposition to practices such as hunting underground or hunting with hounds.
Like more than 900,000 French people, including 185 parliamentarians, he also signed the shared initiative referendum for animals aimed at banning these practices.
"Before signing, I contacted the association AVA to understand the reasons which motivated these activists to mobilize against the venery", explains the elected official.
He had even taken the experience further by going to attend, between the two confinements, a hound hunt with the association.
“It hadn't been as tense as it had been on Saturday.
It was hardly even violent at the time, whereas there it was particularly complicated, ”he says.
"I took kicks to trip myself up"
Saturday, Dimitri Houbron returned to the field, in the forest of Compiègne, in the Oise.
“The AVA association had major concerns two weeks ago.
The activists were afraid to go back and they asked me to be a kind of firewall if things were to escalate, ”he explains.
According to the deputy, the atmosphere quickly degenerated as soon as they arrived on site: “At the start of the day, it was very tense and even violent.
I was kicked to get tripped by young people wearing yellow vests with the inscription '' I love hunting '', "he says.
These people in yellow vests are the "walkers" as they call themselves.
This is a kind of security service deployed to "supervise the presence of our opponents on the ground", describes the Société de venerie.
"They were very clever, to avoid being filmed by our cameras, they put themselves on the side to trip us up", continues the deputy.
This little merry-go-round lasted until Dimitri Houbron finally declared his status as deputy of the Republic by brandishing his parliamentary card.
“On the hunters' and '' walkers' 'side, there were around a hundred while we were only twenty.
Things could very quickly have turned sour, ”he laments.
The tricolor sesame had its effect and the violence stopped immediately: "The little youngster who had kicked me even came to see me, almost apologizing, saying that he thought I was a member of AVA.
But whether I am an activist or a parliamentarian, violence cannot be justified ”.
The events of Saturday only reinforced the deputy in his position against hunting with hounds.
However, Dimitri Houbron knows that banning it will not be so easy.
According to him, parliamentarians who signed the referendum even withdrew "under pressure from the hunters' lobby".
“The world of hunting is united around hunting.
They think that banning a practice such as hunting is opening a Pandora's box, ”analyzes the deputy.
Realistically, he recognizes that no inclination to legislate on the subject will succeed before the presidential election.
"To have a chance to see things happen, the presidential candidates must take a clear position on traditional hunts," insists Dimitri Houbron.
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