 Get involved in raising |
News from Naturewatch
Barcelona strikes out against bullfighting
6 April 2004 was a historic day for the city of
Barcelona when it became the first city in Spain to oppose
bullfighting. The 21 to 15 vote (with two abstentions) taken by the
city's Socialist council was partly in response to a 245,000-name
petition signed by people from around the world. The council's
resolution stated that bulls are 'sensitive both mentally and
physically', while the city's deputy mayor was quoted in a regional
newspaper as saying, 'The bull... has a nervous system similar to that
of human beings, capable of dreaming and suffering.'
The council's decision does not mean an outright ban, as this decision can only be taken by the regional parliament, and the city's one remaining bullring can remain in business. However, the signs are positive. Last summer the parliament of Catalonia (of which Barcelona is the capital) barred children from under 14 from attending bullfights because of the level of violence involved. Furthermore, recent opinion polls conducted among the citizens of Catalonia reveal that the region as a whole is generally opposed to bullfighting.
