I still can’t really get over how Spanish people still think that bullfighting is relatively normal and not completely barbaric and awful, but I suppose vegetarians could say the same about me tucking into a nice chicken sandwich or whatever.
Images VIA
Anyway, it’s clear that Spain have their priorities figured out as they wasted no time at all after emerging from lockdown in organising their first post COVID bullfight in Avila, 55 miles west of Madrid. Surprisingly, much of the arena was empty for the event and animal rights group La Tortura No Es Cultura highlighted this as a reason that the industry shouldn’t be given so many subsidies from the government in order to survive.
They also shared a bunch of brutal photographs from the event, that pretty much show the matador stabbing the bull repeatedly until it dies (don’t scroll down if you don’t want to see that). Carmen Ibarlucea from the group said the following:
Have we not already had an overdose of death and pain in these past months?
The numbers speak for themselves: in Spain, those of us who reject bullfighting are a large majority.
England in 2005 banned fox hunting. China just barely a month ago banned breeding dogs for human consumption. Traditions are not immovable.
The bullfighting lobby has been clamouring for months, asking for public money and demanding to be able to hold a bullfight.
And what happened? It has been a total failure, the alleged fans have not responded.
How can this cruel bankrupt business continue to be subsidised with public funds? This is a waste of Spanish and Europeans taxes at a time of great need.
I mean they’ve kinda got a point there haven’t they? I know traditions are important to a country’s national identity, but at some point you just have to look at them and realise that they’re outdated and archaic and downright brutal/savage and that’s where Spain should be with bullfighting at the moment.
Hopefully they realise that sooner rather than later – I kinda feel like it might happen in the next few years as it’s getting a lot of attention at the moment and has been for a while. Fingers crossed.
For more of the same, check out this bullfighter getting gored in the testicles. Ouch.
