CAS protests against bullfighting in Bilbao

On Wednesday August 23 a protest against bullfighting and other types of spectacles with animals took place in the Basque city of Bilbao. Its occasion was the start of the city festival Aste Nagusia that took place in the week of the protest. During this festival, bullfights are held.

The protest is part of the campaign of the Basque organization for animal rights Piztiak Konparsta Animalista, supported by CAS International. The project aims to end all spectacles with animals, like bullfights and circuses with animals. Marius Kolff, director of CAS International, travelled to Bilbao and red a declaration during the press conference that took place before the protest.

Marius Kolff, director of CAS International:

“For years, we have been active in Bilbao, like in earlier protests at the Guggenheim or by boat in the Ría (river) de Bilbao, but the bullfights during the otherwise enjoyable Aste Nagusia festival are still being held. That is a shame, because the partying people do not have any interest in the bullfights. These are young people that come together to party!”

Publicity for bullfights
This visit to Bilbao demonstrates the importance of complaining when you see publicity for bullfights. Marius experienced this in the hotel where he was staying:

“In the hotel where I was staying, posters for bullfights were hanging, and tickets to them were sold. I told them that this is really not done these days and that a modern hotel should not associate itself with this. Within a few minutes the posters were removed. That was a positive action.”

This year, in Spain 20,000 cows and bulls were killed, 1,736 during bullfights and 16,383 during cruel feasts. These events are held to entertain a minority within Spanish society. The majority of Spaniards is actually against bullfighting. According to information from the Ministry of Culture of Spain only 6,9% of the Spaniards went to a bullfight in 2015.