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Spain: The beginning of the end of bullfighting in Catalonia

July 30, 2010

Every year, thousands of bullfighting aficionados stream into the arenas to see matadors perform. Some call bullfighting an art; others say it's sadistic.

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Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Stierkämpfe Heute
Image: AnimaNaturalis
The end of the spectacle is hardly pretty; the bulls die with gaping wounds and twitching muscles. Occasionally matadors or spectators are trampled by the angry animals -- or even panic-stricken crowds. Catalonia is the first place in mainland Spain to ban bullfighting. Animal protection activists gathered 180,000 signatures urging the regional parliament prohibit the practice – and it has done so. Bullfighting fans are now holding their breath to see whether the Catalonian example will influence the rest of Spain or if the Conservatives in Madrid can overturn the ban.