Will a Controversial Summer of Bullfighting in Andalusia Finally Force a Ban?
Bullfighting will always be a huge topic of debate in Spain, especially Andalucía where it has been more than just a popular culture since the mid 18th century.
As usual during the summer when the bullfighting season in Spain is in full swing animal rights protesters do their up-most to campaign for this cruel tradition to be banned.
Horrific images and videos of bulls being sacrificed make prime time Spanish TV showing the horrendous acts of animal cruelty that unbelievably still exist in this country today.
It’s hard to believe but every year it seems bull-related events in some parts of Spain are actually growing in popularity. Although many towns and cities are finally taking action to stop bull fighting, Andalucía remains steadfast openly celebrating this medieval blood sport.
It would appear however that the country is divided in their opinion and San Sebastian in Northern Spain recently had its 3 year ban overturned and bullfights were reintroduced this summer. This controversial act promoted a new wave of protesters to fight harder in their petition to have it outlawed once and for all.
One of the most recent incidents to cause a stir involved an animal rights protester who entered into a free bullfighting event in Malaga. Virginia Ruiz bravely jumped into the ring to protect and comfort a dying bull before the matador could deliver the final blow.
Male spectators were heard viciously shouting at her ‘whore’ and ‘get back into the kitchen’ as well as spitting and kicking her as she was dragged out of the ring. Virginia continues to receive a backlash of abuse as well as a €6000 fine for her actions but does not regret what she did.
I mean they call Bullfighting an art, a tradition, part of Spain’s culture, call it what you want, the facts remain that the vast majority of the population do not support bull fighting and see it as an unacceptable spectacle in this day and age.
Many left wing Spanish mayors are finally turning their back on bullfighting or bull related festivals. Some are refusing to spend any public money on supporting events which involve cruelty towards bulls instead putting the public’s money towards school books.
It is reported that 75% of Spaniards want to see bullfighting banned completely with the average age of supporters now 45 or over. In fact only a few of the 500 bullrings in Spain are still in operation and are actually profitable, one being Madrid’s 3 week long San Isidro festival.
This tells a story in itself but will Andalucía, the birthplace of bullfighting ever follow in the footsteps of Barcelona, the Canary Islands and Valencia and enforce a complete ban?
Perhaps not for many more years to come but the wheels are in motion and as more people in power are speaking out and withdrawing funds, we can only hope that one day this barbaric blood sport will be seen as a thing of the past.
I would love to hear your thoughts about he contents in this post. What do YOU think? Are you for or against bullfighting?
Keep up the fight against this primitive form of ‘entertainment’. Tradition, culture, sustainability and profit-generation are irrelevant as reasons for supporting this sick sport. Same goes for greyhound racing
Well said Peter, but sadly as another summer is just around the corner I fear the worst for these poor animals. Thanks for your comment and support in this.
While the arguments to us Brits may seem obvious, one sided and incontestable, there is, as ever, another side to the story. Bulls bred for the ring have to be heavy and muscular. Few people realise that fighting bulls are therefore reared in the open and enjoy five years of pasture with the sun on there backs, whereas an animal bred for meat or leather is lucky to see six months of the inside of a barn. Given the choice, I know which one I’d rather be. Another thought is that were bull fighting to be banned, that would be the end of the breed . A proud handsome animal of hundreds of years of pedigree would face extinction as this type of bull would be unsuitable for anything else. Culturally, more difficult for us Brits to understand is the role the bullfight plays in Spanish country life. The bullfight is the only place where one can see death. Death is an ‘actor’ in a piece of theater. In modern life, death is sanitized and hidden so we rarely ever meet it. To the old country folk who bred and killed their own animals for food, death is a part of life that they have extreme respect for and in the Bullfight they not only see art imitating life but death as well. When the bullfight goes altogether, as I’m sure it one day will, the Spanish people will not only have lost an important cultural activity but their link to death and the ways of the country. From then on, life becomes like the meat in the supermarket, detached from death and somewhat devalued.
Hi Hugh, Thank-you for taking the time to comment on my post. Bull fighting will always cause a huge divide as long as it continues to be a part of Spanish ‘culture’. I’ll be honest, you have some good points early on in your comment however you lost me when you start talking about ‘death’, and the Spanish country folk losing their link to death if bull fighting is abolished etc.
Death of animals (for meat) should be humane and at the very least quick, bull fighting is most definitely not. Even worse, bull related events where humans think it is acceptable to set fire to a bulls horns and let it run scared and in agony through streets being tormented by ignorant, cruel and stupid human beings. Before it is out of its mind crashing into stone walls because it is blinded injuring itself further appalls me that this type of ‘death’ of an animal is celebrated, cultural and a part of life that should be accepted. I completely disagree with your argument Hugh on this one.
What you are saying is nonsense. What is happening is barbrric, torture and demonising. Try to imagine your self in the animal place! I sure would hope for those who are with the notion of tourture killing to feel the suffering so they would keep their mouths shut!
Totally agree with you Sara!
blah blah blah blah blah YAWN – you love the sound of your own voice don’t you!!
BULLFIGHTING IS TORTURE! NOTHING ELSE!
would you go and cheer in a slaughterhouse?!?!?!
what a complete tit you are!!
Hugh, a ‘more pleasant’ life for a bullfight bull isn’t sufficient excuse (there isn’t one…) for us to permit ourselves to kill it more torturously. If an unecessarily torturous death is all that justifies humans rearing this breed, don’t rear the breed or sort the humans out who breed by this principle. This is not ‘essential ‘ death for food and is not necessary for any other reason. It does not need to be glamourised or be part of any show for voyeur sick heads who will almost certainly never experience the pain and torture of the bull in the ‘fight’. Ban bullfight torture
The difficult issue for this and other unwanted industries is provision of alternative jobs for those who work in the unwanted industries
You’re right Peter, bullfighting and bull related events are a big money making industry in Spain and for this reason alone, it will unfortunately be a long time before it is banned.
Thanks again for taking the time to comment.
I’m currently in Nerja on holiday and I had no idea bull ‘fighting’ (bull torturing is more accurate) is still allowed here. I am horrified. I thought Spain had joined the 21st Century with the rest of the civilised world. Apparently this isn’t the case. I will certainly not be bringing my tourist Euros to Spain again until this medieval brutality is eradicated.
Shame on you Espana.
hi Kevin
Unfortunately in Andalucia Bullfighting is still happening as sad as tat makes me. Many other regions have banned it completely and I hope one day we will follow suit. Please don’t let that stop you coming back to Spain, as long as you are not spending your tourist Euros on Bull related events than you are not supporting this cruelty. Many other countries also have cruel traditions involving defenseless animals aimed at stupid tourists or locals, many of which are done in secret too. Instead of boycotting Spain we need to support the charities and people that work hard to stop it happening.
I know one thing Kevin, the people of Andalucia find the way old people are treated in England appalling ! The Spanish people will sort it out for themselves it would seem the Brits are very fond of telling other people how to behave.
what has this got to do with torturing bulls?
…you can be a better person you know?!
This is an absolute disgrace and a real showing of how evil human beings are.
BAN BULLFIGHTING! STAND UP AND SPEAK FOR THE INNOCENT!
SHAME ON YOU, SPAIN!!! AND SHAME ON ANY COUNTRY WHO ALLOWS THIS TO CONTINUE!
God is crying when he sees those blessed with life killing one of his innocent souls. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!
Given that the bulls end up on a plate, anyone who gets all up on their moral high horse about bullfighting and isn’t a strict vegetarian, is also a hypocrite. Fighting bulls live out on open pasture for 4 – 6 years as nature intended before they go to the arena, where the average fight lasts 20 min, at the end of which is a quick death if the torero is any good. Compared to your average beef cattle who go to slaughter on average below two years of age, generally live in cramped conditions with the majority never seeing the outside. At the end of which short and deprived existence is an hours-long wait in a holding pen, where unlike a bull in the arena they know exactly what fate awaits them. If you eat beef and are therefore implicitly condoning the rearing and slaughtering conditions of commercial beef cattle, then you are in no position to get so smugly self-righteous about bullfighting just because the animal providing the meal is dispatched in public.
Noone is being smug or self righteous Alex, perhaps you are missing the point but thanks for taking the time to comment.
Málaga needs to protest a whole lot more. We need to create a community on Facebook for this or something else.