BASC has persuaded Change.org to disable the comments section of a petition targeting Love Island contestant Ollie Williams after highlighting hundreds of hateful comments.
The association complained about multiple comments that breached Change.org’s policies on hate speech, bullying, violence and defamation.
The comments section was disabled within an hour of BASC’s complaint.
The petition and online abuse followed the release of photographs of Ollie Williams with ‘dead animals’. Mr Williams is currently a contestant in the reality television show and has found himself embroiled in a row about trophy hunting.
Dr Conor O’Gorman, head of policy and campaigns at BASC, said: “Attacking an individual’s actions when all the facts are not clear is unacceptable and widens the divisions within any debate.
“The online abuse made towards Ollie Williams goes even further and is truly sickening.”
On the topic of trophy hunting, Dr O’Gorman said: “Undertaken in accordance with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sustainable hunting guidelines, hunting plays a significant role in conservation.
“There are countless examples of species saved from local extinction through sustainable hunting.”
What can you do?
We need you to respond individually to the consultation and share your experience. Here are the two things you can do:
- Contact Defra as an individual stating your opposition to option three: A ban on all hunting trophies entering or leaving the UK. You can do this by emailing Defra here: huntingtrophyconsultation@defra.gov.uk
- Fill in this template document providing your own personal experience and send it to Defra.
