Time to Retire the Red Cape: Bullfighting Banned in Catalonia

Lawmakers in the Spanish region of Catalonia voted today to ban bullfighting.

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, used to be a haven for fans of the bloodsport, with three bullrings in the city to meet demand. Bullfighting's popularity had waned in recent years, leaving only one mostly-empty bullring in the city. But the regional ban deals a major blow to the "cultural tradition" of torturing bulls for entertainment, especially because the debate hinged on the cultural value, not the economics, of bullfighting.

Jaime Mayor Oreja, the leading spokesman of the political party opposing to the ban, called it "a national assault."

The controversial vote wasn't exactly smoothed over by the Catalan movement for greater autonomy from the rest of Spain. Josep Rull, a lawmaker from a Catalan party, says the ban is evidence that Catalans share the "more advanced values" of the rest of Europe. Yet the issue on the table was always animal welfare. "We can be proud to have demonstrated today that Catalonia has a more dignified and respectful society that believes in eliminating the torture and suffering of animals."

In the weeks leading up to Catalonia's vote, the pro-bullfighting contingent trotted out the usual excuses — that a ban would violate their basic freedoms and would cost jobs. According to the New York Times, bullfighting supporters also argued that "a ban would be akin to prohibiting painting, since bullfighters regularly receive national arts awards and their activities form part of the cultural coverage of newspapers and other media outlets." Considering that bullfighting revolves around the suffering of another living thing, it's only an "art" the way people painting in blood from unwilling donors would be considered art. No doubt that sort of expression would have its defenders, but that doesn't mean it should be sanctioned by the government.

The example set by Catalonia could lead to the demise of bullfighting in other regions who have even less of a stake in the tradition. Madrid, for one, will be harder to crack. Earlier this year, a demonstration with the slogan "Torture is Not Culture" took place in country's capital city, where bullfighting still has some strong supporters, including the regional head of government who strutted around a press conference in a matador cape. But a spokeswoman for Spain's small anti-bullfighting political party says, even in Madrid, over 70 percent of the population thinks bullfighting is "a national shame."

Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of bullfighting in Spain. It's time for matadors to hang up their red capes for good.

Photo credit: karlman72