Spanish region says adios to bullfighting

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

BARCELONA, Spain: Lawmakers in Catalonia outlawed bullfighting Wednesday, becoming Spain's first mainland region to do so after a heated debate that pitted the rights of animals against preserving a pillar of traditional culture.

Cheers broke out in the local 135-seat legislature after the speaker announced the ban had passed 68-to-55 with nine abstentions. The ban in the northeastern coastal region including Barcelona will take effect in 2012.

Catalonia is a powerful, wealthy region with its own language and culture and a large degree of self-rule. Many in Spain have seen the pressure here for a bullfighting ban as a further bid by Catalonia to stand out from the rest of the country.

The center-right Popular Party, which is fervent about the idea of Spain as a unified country run from Madrid — and also supports bullfighting — said it is considering filing suit to overturn the ban.

The practical effect of the ban will be limited: Catalonia has only one functioning bullring, in Barcelona, while another disused one is being turned into a shopping mall.

It stages 15 fights a year which are rarely sold out, out of a nationwide total of roughly 1,000 bouts per season.

Still, bullfighting buffs and Spanish conservatives have taken the drama very seriously, seeing a stinging anti-Spanish rebuke in the grassroots, anti-bullfighting drive which started last year.

The result will energize animal rights groups bent on seeking bans in other regions of Spain.

The first Spanish region to outlaw bullfighting was the Canary Islands, in 1991. But fights were never that popular there and when the ban took effect there had not been a bullfight for seven years. That makes the Catalonia vote a much more potent case, even if bullfighting is not as popular there as it is in Madrid or down south in Andalusia.

As debate got underway in Barcelona, protesters from both camps rallied outside the parliament building.

Bullfighting opponents carried posters with gory pictures of bleeding animals. One man covered in fake red blood carried a sign in English, "Stop animal cruelty, No more blood." Pro-bullfighting groups carried signs painted on the red and yellow Catalan flag, with slogans such as Libertad y Toros (Freedom and bulls).

The two groups traded taunts and heckled each other.

Comments

ANONYMOUS

Report abuse
It must be banned immediately not 2012 or 2100 ???? Whole world trying to preserve the generations of animals.

LUBNA FAQIH

Report abuse
Finally, Spaniards are feeling for the 'speechless beast' that they have tormented for centuries. If you have ever witnessed a bullfight, you will realise that the so called brave matador faces the bull only after weakening it with razor sharp arrows which brings any mighty beast to its knees. I hope this ban will spread to all the other parts of Spain & will include the crazy senseless Pamplona bull stampede in which hundreds are injured.

JAVIER

Report abuse
I think the 180.000 firms gathered to pass the new law is not really representative from the 7.5 million people living in Catalonia. This was more a political weapon used by the nationalist in Catalonia trying to show a bigger difference with the rest of Spain and generate worldwide cover in the press.

If you get inform about the matter, the bulls use for bullfighting have a better live than any other veal that is used for the commerce of their meat, and probably their death is less painful and more honour than any other animal. Actually these bulls, if they have a good “corrida”, and show their brave they will be forgive and not kill, just keep for stallion.
Post your comment

required

required (email will never be displayed)

Please enter the following characters in the box provided (case sensitive). This helps us prevent automated programs from creating accounts and sending spam.

All comments are subject to approval

Terms and conditions

Latest comments

We are all under Tel Aviv’s feet

I have visited Canada many times in last few years. Canadians are very friendly and it has been

jamal at Feb 8, 2012 07:49

13 comments

Indian accident victim in Najran still critical

The 22 year old Saudi youth had obviously no problem with his concience after injuring this you

Dr. Victoria Charlston at Feb 8, 2012 07:49

2 comments

Avert Syria disaster: KSA

In the end the people will always have the last word. It's only a matter of time before the re

Sloan at Feb 8, 2012 07:48

6 comments

Comatose hit-and-run patient dies in Najran

God bless and give strength to this young man's family as they face a life without him. May jus

Dr. Victoria Charlston at Feb 8, 2012 07:47

1 comments

Avert Syria disaster: KSA

@ANIL KUMAR...the silence, inaction and impotence of some Muslims in regard to the Syrian crisi

Dr. Victoria Charlston at Feb 8, 2012 07:47

6 comments

We are all under Tel Aviv’s feet

If there were more Biblical Christians in Canada, Israel would have increased support there. An

Aaron Smith at Feb 8, 2012 07:46

13 comments