Target: Francina Armengol Socias, President of Spain’s Congress of Deputies
Goal: Advocate for end of protected status for bullfighting across Spain.
Dozens of people, including an elderly man, were injured during the infamous Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Every year, headlines capture tourists’ close encounters with the animals, framing the encounters as fun and festive spectacles for the brave. But what the buzzy news stories and colorful photos fail to capture is the horrific – and ultimately deadly – agony running as a dark undercurrent underneath the event.
The ceremony begins with loud noises intended to frighten the naturally jittery bulls. Once the animals are unleashed into the streets and the crowds, they are subjected to repeated battering by spectators, along with the frequent collisions they suffer as they stampede agitated through the narrow pathways. And this ceremony only marks the beginning of their cruel journey.
Once the bulls are corralled into their literal final destination – the bullring – they are kept crammed together for long durations. And then they must meet the bullfighters, who drive the bulls to extreme exhaustion before sending in the execution squad. First, a horse-rider stabs the barely-standing animal in the back with a lance. As the bull lies bleeding profusely, more harpoon stick-toting men arrive on the scene and proceed to inflict more stab wounds into the defenseless bull’s back. After this long relay of torture, the matador (translated as “killer”) makes a grand entrance, to the cheer of the crowd. A “lucky” animal will only receive a swift sword to the heart. But if the bull manages to hold onto life still, a cut to the spinal cord and death by dagger awaits…if the animal is not dragged off to slowly bleed out in intense pain.
Recent statistics indicate a growing backlash against bullfighting, even in the country that protects it as a “cultural institution,” Spain. Sign the petition below to urge Spain’s leaders to follow public opinion and help end the barbaric atrocities.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Deputy Armengol Socias,
Every year, dozens of people are injured and dozens of bulls endure a grisly death during the San Fermin festival’s Running of the Bulls. Upwards of three-quarters of Spaniards have signaled their revulsion toward bullfighting as a whole. Only a miniscule percentage of citizens have even been to a bullfight in recent times. And nearly a quarter of a million signed a petition to end this archaic practice’s protected status.
Many horrific rituals are rooted in history, but society evolved and came to understand the cruelty and barbarity of these customs. Bullfighting bans themselves are rising worldwide. Please listen to the people and consider what kind of legacy you wish to leave future generations. Remove protections for bullfighting, and let the people decide if they want a cruelty-free Spain.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Clem Rutter & Rochester Kent
