THE right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy. Pro-hunt campaigners insist that their planned demonstrations outside MPs' homes and offices will be non-violent and not inconvenience the wider public. We have no problem with that.

However, if these rallies do descend into ugly clashes, their cause will be harmed still further.

Recent pro-hunt protests have backfired badly. When campaigners barged on to the floor of the House Of Commons they focused attention on lax security rather than countryside pursuits.

And while there was all manner of passionate, good-natured hunting demonstrations at the Labour Party conference in Brighton, a hooligan element was all too apparent. That is made plain in tonight's column by our Parliamentary correspondent Ian Drury.

Unhappily, organisers of the forthcoming North Yorkshire protests seem intent on confrontation. The name of the group, the "Real CA", is deliberately redolent of a terrorist group. Spokesman Edward Duke talks of targeting Hugh Bayley because he is "old Labour" and would "like to put one over the upper classes".

This is abject nonsense, of course. Mr Bayley was elected on a manifesto which included a commitment to ban hunting. Having voted for the ban, he has fulfilled his pledge to his constituents.

By contrast Mr Duke seems keen on conflict, pitting the countryside against the city. It is to be regretted that anyone would wish to create a rift in this peaceful, largely rural corner of the world.

Updated: 09:23 Friday, October 01, 2004