Home
News
News
Expectation ahead of Catalan vote on the banning of bullfighting
Expectation is building in Spain ahead of the vote in the Catalan Parliament on Wednesday on the banning of bullfighting in the region, and the latest indications are that the chamber will indeed vote to ban the ‘National Fiesta’, although the result is expected to be close.
The votes comes as a result of the People’s Legislative Initiative, promoted by the Plataforma Prou, and after seven months of previous red tape and debate which has been heated at times.
Mireya Barbeito, President of the anti-bullfighting party, PACMA, has said that ‘Nobody would cause pain to a bull for fun, except a sadist’, while top bullfighter José Tomás, one of the few capable of filling the Monumental bullring in Barcelona, has said that the Catalan Parliament owes the bullfighters an apology. He has taken an active role in defence of the tradition.
The figures show that the number of bullfights is in decline, and attendances are down, but still 28 bulls are killed every day in bullfights and in other fiestas which use the animals. Last year 10,247 animals were killed in 2,684 ‘celebrations’, 3,192 animals fewer than in 2008.
Defenders of the bullfight say the recent decline in numbers has been caused by the recession and that the numbers will recover.
The vote is in the hands of the two main political groups, the 37 Socialist deputies and the 48 from the right wing CiU, neither of which has a policy on the subject allowing deputies a free vote.
Meanwhile the 21 Nationalist ERC deputies will vote for the proposal as will the 12 left-wingers ICV. The 14 Partido Popular deputies and 3 Ciutadans have confirmed they will vote against the prohibition.
The story is getting widespread international coverage with 11 international media, including the BBC and The Times accredited to attend the parliamentary session. The World Society for the Protection of Animals has, in the last week, handed in a petition with 140,000 signatures from 120 countries against the fiesta.
The votes comes as a result of the People’s Legislative Initiative, promoted by the Plataforma Prou, and after seven months of previous red tape and debate which has been heated at times.
Mireya Barbeito, President of the anti-bullfighting party, PACMA, has said that ‘Nobody would cause pain to a bull for fun, except a sadist’, while top bullfighter José Tomás, one of the few capable of filling the Monumental bullring in Barcelona, has said that the Catalan Parliament owes the bullfighters an apology. He has taken an active role in defence of the tradition.
The figures show that the number of bullfights is in decline, and attendances are down, but still 28 bulls are killed every day in bullfights and in other fiestas which use the animals. Last year 10,247 animals were killed in 2,684 ‘celebrations’, 3,192 animals fewer than in 2008.
Defenders of the bullfight say the recent decline in numbers has been caused by the recession and that the numbers will recover.
The vote is in the hands of the two main political groups, the 37 Socialist deputies and the 48 from the right wing CiU, neither of which has a policy on the subject allowing deputies a free vote.
Meanwhile the 21 Nationalist ERC deputies will vote for the proposal as will the 12 left-wingers ICV. The 14 Partido Popular deputies and 3 Ciutadans have confirmed they will vote against the prohibition.
The story is getting widespread international coverage with 11 international media, including the BBC and The Times accredited to attend the parliamentary session. The World Society for the Protection of Animals has, in the last week, handed in a petition with 140,000 signatures from 120 countries against the fiesta.
(You can find a photo for this story at Typically Spanish - Click here)