Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/302202
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 27 APRIL 2014 4 News MATTHEW VELLA TWEETSTORMS, video diaries, blog posts, and Facebook appeals: not even 15,000 hunters and the Wild Birds Regulation Unit can withstand the social media onslaught that the Coalition Against Spring Hunting has managed to choreograph, and export beyond Maltese borders. With the BBC, and newspapers The Guardian and The Sun switched on to Malta's derogation from the EU's ban on spring hunting, a new front has been opened on the war against bird shooting: the English sensitivity to animal cruelty. But matters came to a head yes- terday, when BBC Springwatch pre- senter Chris Packham was asked to report at the ALE police headquar- ters at 4:17pm. Supporters instantly started tweeting #freechrispackham, BirdLife's €50,000 crowdfunding tar- get reached within hours, tourism boycotts mooted on Twitter, and sup- porters asking celebrities and the BBC to lend their support. Five hours later, Packham was re- leased. It turned out that the ALE were acting on complaints by the FKNK that Packham had breached their privacy and defamed the hunting fraternity: similar accusations in the judicial protest the FKNK filed earlier in the week against the Commissioner of Police. Packham said the police also had concerns that they had been misrep- resented by the BBC presenter in his video documentary. He was not ac- cused of anything, but Packham said that at one point he was threatened with arrest unless he releases a state- ment to the police. "I did everything I could to be cooperative with the po- lice." Alternattiva Demokratika chairper- son, Prof. Arnold Cassola, issued a message of solidarity for Packham, and another green activist, David Camill- eri, who said he had been assaulted by hunters in Gozo. "We would like to express our solidarity with David Camilleri and Chris Packham who, in different circumstances, have fallen victims to intolerance and violence. "Everybody should be allowed to express freely their opinion for or against spring hunting, but threats and intolerant behaviour are simply not on. The quicker one learns this, the better"." Public relations disaster People like Lino Farrugia, the chief executive of the hunters' federation FKNK, was unable to handle the criti- cism. Collating all the press cuttings they could find on the web, the FKNK issued a statement calling TV person- ality Bill Oddie, who joined the League Against Cruel Sports in Malta this week to monitor the season, a "mental case" for having suffered from bipolar disorder. And while the Maltese police were flying an 'unmanned aerial vehicle' (read: a drone) over the heads of un- suspecting hunters – 22 sorties out- side of hunting hours – Farrugia was calling on the Commissioner of Police and the commissioner for data protec- tion to protect hunters' privacy against the intrusion of Chris Packham and his film crew. The enduring image was of Packham being filmed walking into public land at Mizieb, before be- ing assaulted by a mob of some eight hunters, demanding that the cameras are switched off. The political parties stayed away from the controversy: Prime Minister Joseph Muscat yesterday reminded Gozo voters that the PN leadership had "failed to take a stand" on spring hunting - "You know where you stand with us. We promised spring hunting and the season was opened. And like we promised the hunters, we will keep our promises with the trappers," he said, referring to the ban on trapping enforced by te European Union. As the hunters floundered with their public relations disaster, Packham's video diaries on YouTube captured the attention of thousands of British netizens, witnessing the naturalist's heart-breaking tears as a Montagu's Harrier, an illegal quarry, is slowly eu- thanised after suffering from shotgun wounds it cannot recover from. On Twitter, hashtags like #maltamassacre and #stop- springhunting got instant play, peak- ing in the late hours of Friday after MaltaToday published its interview with Packham that same day. Malta's High Commission to the United Kingdom has had its fair share of complaints too. The standard letter it has been sending out to concerned complainants is a copy-and-paste from the parliamentary secretariat for animal rights, but it does not fail to COURT NOTICE The Registrar of Civil Courts and Tribunals informs that the Civil Court, First Hall ordered the following sales by auction: Date and Time Place Items 7 th May, 2014 10:00am - 02/2014 PP Yard without number in Triq Dun Ġużepp Barbara, Kirkop Toyota Crew Cab with the registration number CBO 508 coloured white and Fiat Doblo Van with the registration number JGV 046 coloured white. 21 st May 2014 10.00am – 05/2014 EM Garage no 8, Triq tax- Xmiexi, Msida Motorcycle of the make Triumph with registration number TST 675. 21 st May 2014 11:30am – 09/2014 EM ' Mosta Auto Dealer', Triq il- Kostituzzjoni, Mosta Vehicle of the make Toyota IQ of white colour with registration number UNI 444 26 th May, 2014 10:30pm - 13/2013 EGL ' Stefan Store', Triq iż- Żinżell, Qormi Cupboards, top cupboards and corner cupboards, sinks with taps, several tables of different shapes and size, table extensions, slicer machine, grills, fridges, freezer, fridge cupboard, pasta machines, microwave, pots, convection oven, tray holder, hoods, mixer, trays, dishes, electronic weigh, mincer, pasta boiler, hot plates, fryer, heated cabinet, utensils, trolleys, frying pans, pans, several bowls, dishwashers, fan, shelf, hot dishes, several plates of different shapes and size, cups, LCD, reception desk, chairs, standing lamp, vase shaped glass ornaments, palm trees, olive trees, pots with plants, banana tree, garden chairs, umbrella bases, ice machine, ice buckets, printer for food ordering, fire blankets, tiss ue dispensers, spoons, different types of forks, different types of knives. 28 th May, 2014 11:00pm - 7/2014 EGL 149, Triq id- Dejqa, Valletta Sofa 3 seater and 2 armchairs pink in colour, Television Samsung, Stereo and two speakers and other items Further details can be obtained from the website: http://www.justiceservices.gov.mt/courtservices/JudicialSales/search.aspx The bidders taking part in the auction must present their identity card Rudolph Marmara' For the Registrar Civil Courts and Tribunals SOME 1,800 donors inspired by BBC presenter Chris Packham's video documentary on Malta's spring hunting season raised some €25,000 in just one week, hitting the €50,000 target that BirdLife Malta set, ahead of its 3 June dead- line. The British effort was crucial to the fund-raiser, where BirdLife's crowd-funding effort was tweeted some 6,000 times and attracted 2,000 likes on Facebook. News of Packham's 'arrest' yester- day afternoon at 4:17pm, where the popular TV presenter was asked to report at the Administrative Law Enforcement headquarters, spread like wildfire on the social media. Packham's video documentaries throughout the week saw BirdLife bursting through the €20,000 bar- rier overnight, and nearly halfway to the €50,000 at the start of the week. On Saturday evening, the fund easily breached the €50,000 'Packham effect' raises €50,000 online BBC presenter held in police custody for hours Chris Packham waves his hands in the air as he is about to enter the ALE offices: he was detained for five hours and released without charge Bad press for the Maltese: but Packham's detention at the ALE officers yesterday also sparked talk of a tourism boycott