REUTERS/Susana Vera
In a victory for animal-rights activists — and a blow for those who said it was central to Spanish culture — Spain’s Catalonia region voted to formally ban bullfighting.
Bullfighting had already been on the decline in the region, according to the New York Times. Though the region once held some of the first bullfighting matches, its main city of Barcelona now only has one bullring which only had 4,000 season ticket holders. In Madrid, Spain’s capital, the city’s main ring attracts 19,000 season ticket holders.
The activists who brought the anti-bullfighting petition to parliament said they would work to spread similar legislation elsewhere in Spain. However, many Spanish citizens believe bullfighting is a national symbol and a major tourist draw and should not be outlawed.
(Read more about the culture of cruelty in Spain’s bullrings.)