1998-01-21
The Vancouver Sun
by Stephen Hume
BC environmentalist Anthony
Marr is recovering after being beaten by a burly man who said, �Let this
be a lesson to you.�
[Newspaper Photo] Caption: Beaten but unbowed � Anthony Marr says he is undeterred
in his campaign despite beating.
An
environmentalist known for his opposition to bear hunting and the black
market for animal parts was recovering Tuesday after being attacked in
Vancouver�s West End.
Anthony Marr said he was waylaid about 7:30 p.m. Monday in the 1600 block
of Haro Street as he made his way to his car after a dinner with his
parents at their home.
Environmental groups have been complaining about a sharp increase in
threats of physical violence directed at their members�
�I was
parked in the lane�, Marr said. �There was this guy waiting for me by my
car. He advanced a few steps and said, �Are you Anthony Marr?� I said yes
and he immediately attacked me.�
Marr�
said his assailant was �over six feet and around 200 pounds� and rained
blows upon his head and face, fracturing facial bones and damaging his eye
socket.
�Then
he said, �Let this be a lesson to you,� and walked off,� Marr said.
The
University of British Columbia Hospital confirmed that Marr was admitted
and treated in the emergency ward shortly after 7:30 p.m.. Vancouver city
police confirmed receiving his report of the attack about 8:40 p.m..
Marr
recently led a controversial and widely publicized Western Canada
Wilderness Committee campaign to have bear hunting banned in BC.
He has
also been active in successfully pressuring government for controls in the
black market on endangered species parts in the Asian community�
Marr�s
silver 1993 Mazda sports car and its license plate became well known
during the anti-hunting campaign, he says.
Marr
drove 12,000 kilometers and visited almost every significant community in
BC during the summer of 1996, holding public and private meetings that
laid the groundwork for a province-wide initiative petition towards
driving a referendum vote on banning bear hunting.
Campaigners obtained 93,000 signatures in a 90-day blitz that mobilized
1,800 volunteers, but fell well short of the 250,000 or 10 percent of the
electorate - needed to force government action under recall and initiative
legislation.
The
petition campaign, however, gave Marr a high media profile.
He said he was constantly
harassed by pro-hunting (forces). Pickup trucks tailgated his car and he
received anonymous threats of violence by phone.
�My
reaction is that it merely strengthens my resolve to continue with this
campaign��
Paul
George, a director of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, described
the attack on Marr as �deplorable� and said it was time for police and
government to take seriously the �threats of violence and all the rhetoric
that our people are subjected to.�
�I
think this [violent rhetoric] unleashes hate against environmentalists
just as much as it does against Jews or people of a different sexual
persuasion or anything like that,� George said.
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