hetismij

It has just been announced that the Catalonian government has voted in favour of a ban on Bullfighting.

Whether it is purely a political vote or really because of the welfare of the animals involved, I for one am glad they have done this.

It is the second Spanish region to ban bull fights the canary islands banned them in 1991.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10784611

kerouac

Even though it is an amazing cultural icon, I think that bullfighting is one that should belong to the past. I hope that this will inspire France to ban bullfighting, too (and of course, the rest of Spain sooner or later).

lincasanova

It would be nice if they also saw fit to propose to ban other unusual animal participation fiestas.. also with bulls, like "Toro Embolado". However this might upset the villagers.

This is just another step in severing ties with "Spain", a foreign country.

I WISH it were only about animal cruelty, but it obviously isn't.

The state and economic situation of animal shelters in Spain, for example, is so depressing.I hope some good comes from these congressmen and they now turn towards improving dignified animal life across the province. Good to see them so interested and organized. Hopefully we will see more results in the near future if their concerns are sincere.

Dukey

Hmmm..actually, the rumors out there are that Spain and Portugal are, as countries, in rather dire financial straits similar to, if not even worse than, Greece, but these could be just that: rumors.

Upsetting villagers might be the least of it as it usually is in the longer run

josele

Do not let them fool you, they are banning bullfighting out of hatred towards anything spanish, and a selfish interest in keeping their seats and sinecures.

Egbert

What is going on in Spain? It sounds like Catalonia will secede, then the Basque country? then who?

Michael

Bull fighting in France does not allow the killing of the animal. It is probably less painful to the animal than bull riding in American rodeos.

Luhimari

Michael, sorry to contradict you but we saw a bullfight some years ago in France and the matadors did kill the bulls.

Michael

<i>Bullfighting has been popular in pockets of southern France for 150 years. Though the practice contravenes a 1976 act that outlaws the torture and deliberate mistreatment of animals, the law makes an exception for La Corrida in areas where there is an "unbroken, local, tradition". Nîmes in Languedoc-Roussillon is particularly passionate with a million visitors flocking to the five-day festival at Pentecost each year.</i>

I was just next door, where the bullfighting did not involve serious wounding or killing of the bull.

kerouac

As far as I know, bullfighting in France goes all the way. It is in Portugal where the bull is not killed.

Robert2533

What in the world do you think they do with the bulls in Portugal and other areas when they are not killed in the bullring? They take them out back and slaughter them in the butcher shop.

JBX

The final bullfights in Barcelona are at hand .......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15050706

Bedar

galicia is also interested in breaking away from Spain. josele is correct about Cataluna.

Aduchamp1

Spain has long been many countries, combined by a political fiction. We will see what the economic crisis does to the various separatist movements.

spaarne

I saw a bullfight in southern France where the bulls were killed by the matador. It was pretty exciting, almost as good as an afternoon at Wrigley Field.