Protests in Madrid and Seville against the bloody bullfights

18-05-2022

In Seville and Madrid, bloody bullfights have resumed, due to the start of the bullfighting season. CAS International and AnimaNaturalis protested against bullfighting in both cities.

Sevilla

On April 24, we protested in the southern Spanish city of Seville. That is when the famous and exuberant April Fair took place. Unfortunately, bullfights are held during these festivities, although the festivities are not about bullfighting. We wanted to make this clear during the protest and therefore a woman dressed as a flamenco dancer played the leading role in our protest. During the April Fair, women dress up in the most beautiful and colorful flamenco dresses. The flamenco dancer took center stage as a victim of bullfighting, bloodied and surrounded by large pictures with images of bullfighters about to kill a bull.

The April Fair attracts thousands of visitors each year who want to enjoy music, dance, traditional food, the beautiful dresses worn by women en masse, etc. The torture and killing of bulls is a low point for a celebration that should make all Andalusians proud. In addition, the controversy surrounding bullfighting has never been as strong as it is now, in a society that is calling ever louder for its end.

Madrid

On Sunday, May 8, we protested in Madrid, during the San Isidro celebrations in the Spanish capital. There we did a similar act to the one in Seville: a man and a woman, dressed in typical costumes of the region, formed the center of the protest. Bloodied and surrounded by large pictures of bullfighters, they symbolized the bull.

As with the April Fair, the San Isidro fiestas have essentially nothing to do with bullfighting. Madrid is a symbol of diversity, which is reflected in the fiestas. In addition, the majority of Spaniards reject bullfighting, which is a dark contrast to the rest of the festivities. 240 bulls are killed during the week of San Isidro.

Yesterday CAS International and AnimaNaturalis protested in Madrid against the cruel bullfights!

Soon we will share with you more pictures of the protest#stopbullfight #tauromaquiaabolicion https://t.co/QjHAHvg8Gq

— CAS International (@CAS_Int) May 9, 2022

Official Dates

According to official data from the Ministry of Culture of Spain and from the association of veterinarians AVATMA, there has been a sharp decline in the number of bullfights since 2016. According to the Ministry of Culture, only 9.5 percent of Spaniards went to a bullfight between 2014-2015. Of these, 2 of every 10 visitors received a free ticket. In addition, we know that in 2018, 90.5 percent of Spaniards did not attend a bull festival. In the survey, 40 percent expressed no interest in events with bulls. It also revealed that 20 percent do not know the rules of bullfighting.

Even though more than 90 percent of Spaniards do not go to bullfights, more than 9,000 bulls will die this year. More than 50,000 will be hired to be exploited during bull festivals. After this, they will be killed or reused.

80 percent of the spectacles involving bulls in Spain take place in the regions of Madrid, Toledo, Salamanca, Ávila and Cuenca. In three states, bullfighting has been banned or has disappeared: Catalonia, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.

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