Bullfighting protest in Spain

I stumbled on information on bullfighting demonstrations in Spain. The most recent was June 22nd, but there was an earlier one that got international attention (and has english subtitles):

The english switches between saying “bullfighting” and “bullkilling”. I don’t know Spanish well enough to be certain of what the best english translation is, though I believe they’re actually calling for the abolition of bullfighting not just the killing of the bulls at the end. I seem to recall that the bulls aren’t killed in the ring in Portugal, so I would think that the Spanish activists know quite well to go for the abolition of the brutal sport in its entirety.

I have actually seen a bullfight. I look back and I wonder what the hell I was thinking, but at the time I was 20, I was traveling around, I was in Madrid, I was hanging out with people who were totally convinced that seeing a bullfight was part of seeing Spanish culture.

I couldn’t watch most of it. I hated it, I felt sick, and I was SO happy when a matador was kicked in the head by a bull and knocked out. (He was fine, just had a minor concussion. The bull, of course, did not survive the ring.) I don’t know what that says about me, but the brutality of the sport, the constant blood, the terror I felt for the horses who wearing armor or no were often knocked over by the bulls, it all made me feel sick to my stomach. I don’t worry much about the humans in these cases, because even if they get hurt, it is because they put themselves in that situation.

Same with the running of the bulls. Take a chance, do something stupid, and you know you might pay a price.

The bulls and the horses aren’t given any choice at all, and they always pay the price.

If that is something essential in Spanish culture, it is certainly not something that makes Spanish culture look good. There were so many fantastic aspects to Spanish culture, so much beauty in that country, and I didn’t find any of it watching that bullfight.

I, for one, will think that much more highly of the Spanish people when they finally abolish bullfighting.

Of course in the news clip from the youtube video, one of the protesters is quoted very nicely saying that they were a peaceful protest. One of the anti-animal people was quoted as saying “they should be arrested!” And then you see a shot of one of the protesters being dragged out of the ring in a chokehold.

This threat of arrest is a bullying tactic. “Don’t rock the boat, or we’ll arrest you! It doesn’t even matter if you have done anything illegal!”

Anyway, kudos to equanimal. I wish I could read more Spanish!