Estepona bullfighting revival sparks controversy

This summer, bullfighting returned on Sunday 6th July with an evening of sold-out tickets at the Estepona bullring. Entire families cheered the ritualistic exhaustion of the animals.

However, not everyone was elated. The animal charity AIMS, (Animals in Marbella Sanctuary), and others peacefully protested at the gates to stop what they see as animal cruelty and barbarity.

Witnesses reported that amongst the masses of people who attended the bullfight there were many small children. In European law, children under 16 cannot watch bullfights nor can they participate in any manner with bull racing.

Bullfighting supporters argue that the art is centuries old, deeply rooted in Spanish culture and heritage, and represents bravery, skill and national identity. This is especially true in Andalusia. This industry is a major source of income, which provides jobs in the breeding, event-management, tourism and related industries. Some people claim that fighting bulls have a higher quality of life than factory farmed animals because they are raised outdoors in pastures, with high standards for care.

However, protestors from Estepona who were mostly Spanish have a different perspective. The protestors claim bullfighting causes bulls to suffer and die in agony. They are stabbed repeatedly, weakened, and then killed as a public spectacle. Animals should not be used for entertainment. This is especially true when the animals are deliberately injured and killed, which goes against modern animal welfare standards. The bullfighting tradition is also outdated, and losing relevance as society places more emphasis on animal rights. Many regions have seen a decline in attendance.

The protest was carried out with success, demonstrating that not everyone in Andalucía is in favour of this ancient form of entertainment. AIMS members say. “Bulls, horses and other animals suffer indescribable pain for the sake of tradition and profit. This is not culture. It’s torture. “We say NO.”

AIMS has a petition running on change.org We have collected more than 52,000 signatures to ban bullfighting and we invite other people to sign.