Return of bullfights in Mallorca

14-08-2019

On Friday, August 9, the first bullfight took place on the Spanish island of Mallorca after two years. Just before the bullfight, hundreds of people protested in front of the bullring. The protesters were indignant because Spain is imposing on the Balearic Islands the organization of the cruel bullfights. CAS International traveled to Mallorca to participate in the protests and to document the bullfight.

Prohibition

The Spanish state of the Balearic Islands banned various elements of bullfighting in 2017, making it impracticable, such as killing and injuring the bull and using horses. In December 2018, the Spanish Constitutional Court declared several articles within this law unconstitutional. Other elements of the law remained after the Constitutional Court’s judgment, such as subjecting bullfighters and bulls to a doping test and a ban on the access of minors (18 years old) to bullfighting. These days, the bullring must also be accessible to wheelchair users and have an operating room.

The bullfight

Estefanía Pampín Zuidmeer traveled to Mallorca on behalf of CAS International to protest. After the protest, she and Spanish colleagues documented the bullfight to see if the new legislation is being complied with. Pampin Zuidmeer:

“The bullfights were unprecedentedly cruel. The death stab should give bulls a quick death after the fight, but that was not the case. Each time the matador had to stab the animal to kill it, which failed and resulted in a real death struggle. The horses were also attacked by the bulls who were in pain after being stabbed from the horse with a long lance. One horse was even lifted by the bull’s horns and another fell to the ground and could not stand up without help. ”

CAS International was present at the protest to stand up for the bulls, but also to support the people of the Balearic Islands. Pampin Zuidmeer:

“It is outrageous that the Spanish government and the Constitutional Court do not give the state the Balearic Islands the freedom to decide for themselves what they want with bullfighting. The local government put an end to this two years ago. The majority of the population is against bullfighting. Yet it is literally pushed through the throat. ”

Mallorca Sense Sang

For years, CAS International worked intensively to end the traditional bullfights in the Balearic Islands with the campaign “Mallorca Sense Sang” with AnimaNaturalis, supported by HSI. More than 360,000 signatures were collected during this campaign. The campaign could count on broad support from the people of the Balearic Islands.