With a potential legislative ban on hunting with dogs voted on in Parliament last night, online interest in the divisive hunting issue has soared, according to online competitive intelligence service Hitwise, pushing the website to the number one spot among UK political websites.
The Countryside Alliance site provides the latest news updates on the issue as well as information on today's planned protest outside Parliament, has more than tripled its traffic over the past week.
The site is currently the top-ranked politics website in the UK with more than 6.4% of market share to the online politics sector.
The site has been a key part of the Countryside Alliance's campaign against a fox hunting ban, using it to help rally support for last night's demonstration in Parliament Square, which ended in violence. Metropolitan Police said that there were around 10,000 demonstrators assembled in Parliament Square with a hardcore of around 200 still there late last night.
The Met arrested a total of 11 protesters on suspicion of a variety of offences including violent disorder, harassment, alarm and distress, affray and public order.
Commander Rose Fitzpatrick said: "It is extremely disappointing that a small number of people attempted to break through the police cordon. We had to deal quickly and effectively with that situation, in order to make sure the peaceful protest could carry on in safety, and to allow Parliament and London to go about its normal business with the minimum of disruption."
The Countryside Alliance website ranks ahead of traditional market leader with 4.3% of market share, as well as outstripping the US political websites, which have been notably popular in recent weeks as the Presidential election looms.
Other websites related to the hunting issue have also experienced substantial increases in traffic in recent days: , an independent fox hunting lobby site, has more than tripled its traffic over the past week, jumping from 224 to 70 in the Politics sector, while the official website, which champions the other side of the fox-hunting debate, has also experienced a boost in traffic, jumping 40 places in the Lifestyle sector over the past three weeks, from 200 to 160.
The government will debate outlawing hunting with dogs today, but ministers have already said they will force a law change through even if peers in the House of Lords oppose it as they are expected to do.
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