Yzabelle Bostyn
THE daughter of a donkey taxi driver has spoken out after a British tourist was ‘beaten up’ in Mijas, Andalucia.
A social media user claiming to be the daughter of a Mijas donkey driver has given her ‘side of the story’ after a British tourist was attacked for filming the donkeys on Sunday.
She commented on a local Instagram page, Fuengirolasequeja’s post showing a video of the attack.
Photo: Fuengirolasequeja
The user @Andreatr10 claimed the victim, Ian Grace, ‘filmed the donkey drivers between 2pm and 7pm without their consent, uploading the content to social media and harassing tourists who decided to take a donkey ride.’
Andrea says the ‘abuse’ continued until the donkey drivers were forced to pack up due to high temperatures at 7pm.
“I’d like to know how you would react if someone went to your business and told people not to come in all day,” she said.
“Without doubt, some of you would’ve had less patience and would have reacted in the same way.”
She continued that her father is ‘no abuser’ and that he ‘takes very good care’ of the donkeys.
Andrea claims they have ‘always had to withstand criticism’ but says it became ‘bullying’ around a month ago after a video of a donkey collapsed in the heat went viral on social media.
She implied that the donkey simply fell over, ‘as any animal could’.
“The donkey drivers work so hard day in day out to bring bread home,” she said.
In an exclusive Olive Press interview, the victim, Ian Grace, said he was filming the donkeys as he saw them being taken out despite the extreme heat.
Photo: The Olive Press
He said: “What the post by the donkey owner’s daughter doesn’t say, is that four to six horse carriages and two donkey drawn carriages passed me at 06:30 pm in the sweltering heat when it was illegal for them to be out. “
“I have not harassed anyone at all, this is damage limitation by a donkey owner’s daughter who was not there, she is a handmaiden for her father spreading mistruths about me,” he continued.
Ian suggested meeting with the young woman and other activists to debate the issue.
“We cannot legitimise animal abuse and exploitation by saying it is making someone a living and feeding their family; what is important is to work with people such as this young lady and discuss other ways that do not include animal exploitation.”
“I did not visit Mijas Pueblo to be assaulted by an irate donkey owner – he was in public and it is legitimate to film in open public places in the public interest; I was documenting compliance with the law by most of the donkey owners before I was assaulted.”
“It is easy for this young lady to try and justify what is happening in Mijas Pueblo, after all she eats the bread on the table earned by the ongoing pain and exploitation of these poor donkeys, forced to pull heavy weights around the cobbled streets of Mijas Pueblo.”The Olive Press notes that the rules put in place by Mijas council to protect the donkeys are recommendations and thus are not legally binding.
My response in full:
Regrettably I am led to respond after being the victim of an assault in Mijas Pueblo, and upon reading defamatory and slanderous remarks that OlivePress have brought to my attention.
At no point did I harass any tourist, and I was not sent by any animal activist groups; I work off my own back and have been grateful for the support and assistance of people – Anne and V – who came to my assistance on Sunday evening. This was the first time I had ever met those people in person.
What the post by the Donkey Owners daughter doesn’t inform, is that 4-6 horse carriages and 2 donkey drawn carriages passed me at 1830 in the sweltering heat when illegal for them to be out when I sat in a bar returning from the gardens at the tip of the Pueblo. The abuse continued when I thought my time had been wasted documenting the conditions the donkeys endure for the owners to exploit them.
I have not harassed or intimidated or goaded anyone at all, this is damage limitation by a Donkey owners daughter who was not there, she is a handmaiden for her father spreading mistruths about me. I have campaigned for the stop to 2500 Beagle puppies being bred to be destroyed from 16 weeks of age in warehouses in Cambridgeshire UK – Campaign Beagle UK, http://www.thecampbeagle.co.uk.
I am happy to meet with this young lady with an interpreter, we all have to put bread on the table so-to speak but his does not mean that we abuse animals surely? We cannot legitimise animal abuse and exploitation by saying it is making someone a living and feeding their family; what is important is to work with people such as this young lady and discuss other ways that do not include animal exploitation so that tourists who wish to travel around Mijas Pueblo can be given a service. -electric Tuk Tuks, electric three wheeled scooters, electric bike tours, visits to a donkey sanctuary.
I have not made any such allegations as claimed towards any of the donkey owners and neither would I, I am involved in high level litigation in the UK. I did not visit Mijas Pueblo to be assaulted by an irate donkey owner – he performs a service for want of a better word to the public, it is legitimate to film in open public places in the public interest; I was documenting compliance with the Law by most of the donkey owners before I was assaulted.
My account will be published in the European Press and will be used in court; it is easy for this young lady to try and justify what is happening in Mijas Pueblo, after all she eats the bread on the table earns by the ongoingpain and exploitation of these poor donkeys, forced to pull heavy waits around the cobbled streets of Mijas Pueblo.
We can be better. This is an open invitation to meet with you in front of press and I and other activists can reasonably state our positions to find a solution and allow her to eat better tasting bread.
While I’m not a fan of donkey rides for tourist purposes, it is unlawful to post video recordings of people on the internet without their explicit consent.
Accusing someone of animal abuse definitely requires clear and unambiguous evidence, if you want to avoid a defamation law suit. Video recordings may be used in court under certain conditions, but you can’t publish them on the internet. Please take the legal route rather than the social media path, where too many people have opinions on things they know very little about.
I was filming and documenting the animals being led away in the heat and live streaming to a public page – the assailant was of no interest to me, I didn’t even know who he was. If the Law states that the animals must not be forced to labour when the weather is code orange, and the owners make them work, how unambiguous can that be in relation to animal abuse? I can publish videos in private groups and will continue to do so – do photographs you take never have people in the background? And videos you take, you don’t have people in the background? Ever taken a video in a park, a concert or public place and do you get explicit permission from each person in your footage? Documenting the abuse of these animals to specific interest groups is fully legal. I just read “where too many people have opinions on things they know very little about” and nearly chocked on my false teeth.
The regulations stipulated clearly the temperatures that the animals could be forced to work in, it is not permitted by the town hall – I call abuse – I was streaming to a private group, ensuring lawful compliance, sorry but you clearly are one of those people.