Pricks in the neck, banderillas in the wound, puntilla for the kill, these are some of the weapons used by a matador during a fight with a bull. Bullfighting is a tradition from Spain that began in France in 1853 in the city of Bayonne. Since then, nearly 200 have been organized each year in France.
This practice is legally authorized, thanks to a derogatory regime, but arouses more opposition, as is the case in Pérols where the Administrative Court of Montpellier suspended the return of bullfighting in May.
In this new issue of Animals 2.0, 20 minutes went to the Arènes de Nîmes to meet the matador Marc Serrano, also President of the association of French matadors. It defends a tradition and a French intangible cultural heritage. At our microphone, he evokes the love and respect of the bull and the specificities of this fighting animal.
Claire Starozinski, president of the association “Alliance Anticorrida”, denounces, she, a hypocrisy and a bloody rite. Invoking the Penal Code on serious abuse and acts of cruelty inflicted on animals, she campaigns for the abolition of bullfighting, also evoking the change in public opinion in France.
Watch the full video report at the top of this article.
Should France completely ban bullfighting for the benefit of animal welfare or, on the contrary, should this tradition be maintained in certain regions?
Give us your opinion in the comments. And if you have questions about other social issues concerning animals, do not hesitate to let us know as well.