Ban on bullfighting in Catalonia
Encyclopedia
Bullfighting
was banned in the Spanish
region of Catalonia
by a vote of the Catalan Parliament
in July 2010. The ban comes into effect on 1 January 2012. The last bullfight in the region took place in Barcelona
in September 2011.
The ban, which will end a centuries-old tradition in the region, has been supported by animal rights
activists but opposed by some, who see it as motivated by political nationalism
rather than animal welfare.
(built in 1859), and the bullring in Figueres
(1894). The 1897 bullring in Girona
was demolished in 2006.
The sport declined in popularity in recent decades. Currently, the only operating bullring in Catalonia is La Monumental
in Barcelona
, where 20 fights were organized in 2009. This compares to 284 fights organized in the Community of Madrid (with a similar population to Catalonia). Nine fights were organized between April and July 2010. Organizers say that average attendance is around 7,000 people, of whom 400 are season ticket holders.
on 28 July 2010, following a petition (or Popular Legislative Initiative
, PLI) organised by the PROU platform (Catalan
for 'Enough!'). The petition attracted 180,000 signatures. The parliamentary vote was 68 votes for and 55 against, with 9 abstentions. Catalonia became the second autonomous community
in Spain to ban bullfighting after the Canary Islands
did so in 1991. The ban will come into force on 1 January 2012. Bullfights by matadors are to be banned in Catalonia at the end 2011 but bull-dodging, in which bulls are not killed, will remain legal. The last bullfight in Catalonia took place on 25 September 2011 at La Monumental.
groups and gained the backing of celebrities including Ricky Gervais
and Pamela Anderson
. Opponents of the ban suggested that it was not motivated by animal welfare concerns, but by the desire of Catalan nationalists
to eradicate from the region something seen as culturally Spanish. It has also been claimed that the Catalan economy will suffer as a result of the ban. The ban did not cover the Catalan tradition of correbous
, in which lit flares are attached to the horns of a bull, cited as an inconsistency by both opponents of the ban and animal rights activists.
And added to the first paragraph:
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
was banned in the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
region of Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
by a vote of the Catalan Parliament
Parliament of Catalonia
The Parliament of Catalonia is the unicameral legislature of Catalonia. It is formed by 135 members , who are elected every four years in ordinary period, or extraordinarily upon dissolution and call of elections by the President of Catalonia, by universal suffrage in proportional lists with four...
in July 2010. The ban comes into effect on 1 January 2012. The last bullfight in the region took place in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in September 2011.
The ban, which will end a centuries-old tradition in the region, has been supported by animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
activists but opposed by some, who see it as motivated by political nationalism
Catalan nationalism
Catalan nationalism or Catalanism , is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or full independence of Catalonia....
rather than animal welfare.
Bullfighting in Catalonia
The earliest recorded bullfight in Catalonia took place in 1387, although, as elsewhere in Spain, it was not until the early 19th century that bullfighting in the region took its form as a modern spectator sport. By the early 20th century, it had become one of the major entertainment attractions in Catalonia. The region still preserves some of the oldest bullrings in Spain, such as the Plaça Clarà in OlotOlot
Olot is the capital of the comarca of the Garrotxa, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.- Etymology :The etymology of Olot is not clear and there are several hypotheses...
(built in 1859), and the bullring in Figueres
Figueres
Figueres is the capital of the comarca of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museum designed by Dalí himself which attracts many visitors...
(1894). The 1897 bullring in Girona
Girona
Girona is a city in the northeast of Catalonia, Spain at the confluence of the rivers Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell, with an official population of 96,236 in January 2009. It is the capital of the province of the same name and of the comarca of the Gironès...
was demolished in 2006.
The sport declined in popularity in recent decades. Currently, the only operating bullring in Catalonia is La Monumental
La Monumental
The Plaza Monumental de Barcelona, often known simply as La Monumental , is a bullring in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is the last bullfighting arena in commercial operation in Catalonia. It was inaugurated in 1914 under the name Plaza de El Sport and was immediately expanded and...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, where 20 fights were organized in 2009. This compares to 284 fights organized in the Community of Madrid (with a similar population to Catalonia). Nine fights were organized between April and July 2010. Organizers say that average attendance is around 7,000 people, of whom 400 are season ticket holders.
2010 ban
A ban on bullfighting in Catalonia was approved by the Catalan ParliamentParliament of Catalonia
The Parliament of Catalonia is the unicameral legislature of Catalonia. It is formed by 135 members , who are elected every four years in ordinary period, or extraordinarily upon dissolution and call of elections by the President of Catalonia, by universal suffrage in proportional lists with four...
on 28 July 2010, following a petition (or Popular Legislative Initiative
Initiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
, PLI) organised by the PROU platform (Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
for 'Enough!'). The petition attracted 180,000 signatures. The parliamentary vote was 68 votes for and 55 against, with 9 abstentions. Catalonia became the second autonomous community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
in Spain to ban bullfighting after the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
did so in 1991. The ban will come into force on 1 January 2012. Bullfights by matadors are to be banned in Catalonia at the end 2011 but bull-dodging, in which bulls are not killed, will remain legal. The last bullfight in Catalonia took place on 25 September 2011 at La Monumental.
Controversy
The campaign to ban bullfighting in Catalonia was strongly supported by animal rightsAnimal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
groups and gained the backing of celebrities including Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
and Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990...
. Opponents of the ban suggested that it was not motivated by animal welfare concerns, but by the desire of Catalan nationalists
Catalan nationalism
Catalan nationalism or Catalanism , is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or full independence of Catalonia....
to eradicate from the region something seen as culturally Spanish. It has also been claimed that the Catalan economy will suffer as a result of the ban. The ban did not cover the Catalan tradition of correbous
Toro de fuego
A toro de fuego is a festive activity in which a bull-resembling metal frame, with fireworks attached to it, is set alight, and then a person carrying the frame runs around town at night as if chasing people in the streets...
, in which lit flares are attached to the horns of a bull, cited as an inconsistency by both opponents of the ban and animal rights activists.
Popular Legislative Initiative
The approval of the PLI repealed the exception to the second paragraph of Article 6 of the Animal Protection Act:And added to the first paragraph:
Votes
| Yes | No | Abs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convergence and Union Convergència i Unió (CiU) |
32 | 7 | 6 |
| Socialists' Party of Catalonia Socialists' Party of Catalonia The Socialists' Party of Catalonia is a social-democratic political party in Catalonia, Spain resulting from the merge of two parties PSC Reagrupament led by Josep Pallach i Carolà and PSC Comgres. It is the Catalan referent of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , and its Aranese section is... Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya, (PSC) |
3 | 31 | 3 |
| Republican Left of Catalonia Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, ERC) |
21 | ||
| People's Party of Catalonia People's Party (Spain) The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship... Partit Popular de Catalunya (PP) |
14 | ||
| Initiative for Catalonia Greens Initiative for Catalonia Greens Initiative for Catalonia Greens is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. It was formed as a merger of Iniciativa per Catalunya and Els Verds. IC had been an alliance led by Partit Socialista Unificat de Catalunya and was the equivalent of Izquierda Unida in Catalonia... -United and Alternative Left United and Alternative Left United and Alternative Left is a political party from Catalonia, Spain. EUiA has 4000 members and it is the Catalan correspondent of the Spain-wide United Left .... Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds-Esquerra Unida i Alternativa (ICV-EUiA) |
12 | ||
| Citizens – Party of the Citizenry Citizens – Party of the Citizenry The Citizens – Party of the Citizenry is a Spanish political party which describes itself as centre-left and non-nationalist... Ciutadans - Partit de la Ciutadania (C's) |
3 | ||
| TOTAL | 68 | 55 | 9 |