tradition
Bullfighting divides France – proposal to ban it in Parliament
French bullfighter Sebastien Castella makes a pass during his bullfight. photo
© Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA/dpa
Is France Banning Bloody Bullfights? The majority of people in France are in favour, but in the bullfighting cities things are different.
In the south of France, bullfights have a long tradition and many supporters – the parliament in Paris is now making a move to ban the bloody custom.
Next Thursday, the motion to remove an exemption for bullfights from the Animal Welfare Act will be discussed. Although according to a survey on Thursday 74 percent of the people in France want such a ban, in a survey in the summer in the bullfighting cities 71 percent of the residents spoke out in favor of preserving the tradition.
After a deliberation in Parliament’s committee this week, it does not appear that the third attempt at a bullfighting ban after 2013 and 2021 will succeed. In any case, a heated debate is expected in Parliament between opponents and supporters of the so-called Corrida, which is also a sporting and economic factor in the affected region. Both camps are planning numerous demonstrations over the weekend – the opponents want to form up in Paris, while the supporters are mobilizing in around a dozen cities with bullfights.
In the French Basque Country and in Spain, the bullfighting tradition has been disputed for years. For many it is a national symbol and art. Opponents of the custom consider the controversial spectacle to be brutal animal cruelty, which the bulls often did not survive.