Ahead of the Running of the Bulls at the San Fermín festival, dozens of animal advocates gathered in the heart of Pamplona, Spain. Adorned in little more than “horns” and red floor-length veils, protesters pushed for the city to end the gory bullfights.
The activists from PETA entities and Spanish animal protection group AnimaNaturalis commemorated the animals who are chased down the streets to their death in the bullring each year and called for an end to this annual bloodshed.
What’s Wrong With the Running of the Bulls?
Every year, bulls are forced to scramble down Pamplona’s narrow streets as they run from a mob of tourists. They often injure themselves as they slip on the cobblestone path or crash into walls in an attempt to escape the crowd.
These bulls have typically had little interaction with humans previously, and suddenly being thrust among this horde is distressing and overwhelming.
Many people who are lured into attending this cruel spectacle don’t realise that the same bulls they chase down the streets are slaughtered in the bullring later the same day.
In bullfights, men taunt and stab each bull with a lance and several harpoon-like banderillas. When a bull becomes too weak to defend himself, the matador stabs the exhausted animal with a sword.
After the ritualised execution is over, the bull’s ear or tail may be cut off for the matador to keep as a sick trophy.
Torture, Not Tradition
In recent years, Aussies have accounted for the biggest proportion of foreign runners at the Running of the Bulls.
The tide is turning on this archaic spectacle. More than 125 Spanish towns and cities have banned bullfighting, and 93% of young Spanish people are against it – but this industry continues on its last legs in part because of tourists’ money.
Bullfights, like gladiator combats or public executions, must be consigned to the history books. Please take action to help end this barbaric slaughter now:
The post Sea of Blood-Red Activists Floods Pamplona Ahead of the Running of the Bulls and Torturous Bullfights appeared first on PETA Australia.
https://ift.tt/YG0BQy9