Attivismo civico & Terzo settore
End to bullfighting in Catalunya
With 68 votes to 55 the Catalan parliament has banned bullfighting as of January 1, 2010
Animal rights organizations the world round are celebrating the Catalan Parliament’s decision to ban bullfighting in Catalunya. Although critics say that the vote to ban the practice was motivated more by politics than empathy towards bulls, it is a landmark for animal rights campaigners both within Spain and abroad. The vote was taken as a result of a petition signed by 180 thousand people and a campaign promoted by the local campaigning group Prou! (Enough!).
“The Catalan animal protection movement has efficiently worked together for a common cause, mobilizing more than one thousand activists” declared a Prou! spokesperson after the Parliament announced that as of January 1, 2011 bullfighting will be illegal in Catalunya.
“The people have spoken: cruelty to animals disguised as tradition will no longer be tolerated”, announced PETA UK on their website, adding that: “Bullfighting is a cowardly pursuit … after today’s inspiring news, it looks like those mean matadors will have no choice but to hang up their capes for good”.
Various cities and towns across Spain, France, Portugal, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador have all recently declared themselves anti-bullfighting and Catalonia is the second Spanish region to ban bullfighting outright, after the Canary Islands in 1991.
“We are euphoric with the banning of bullfighting in Catalonia. It’s the beginning of the end,” said Nacho Paunero, president of the animal rights group Refuge, which collected 50,000 signatures in a bid to force a similar vote in the Madrid regional parliament. “We want debate in Madrid now.”
Critics and bullfighting supporters say the vote is an attempt by nationalist-minded Catalans to mark their difference from the rest of Spain by rejecting one of its best known traditions. But animal lovers are less interested in the politics and more interested in having brought an end to a practice they consider cruel: “It is a victory of democracy over the bullfighting lobbies and a victory of dignity over cruelty”, said Brigit Bardot.
