Catalonia to ban Bullfighting

[veganese]

http://www.prou.cat/english/index.php?c=on_signar.php

Catalonia wants to ban bullfighting, they want to collect 50.000 signatures and they've collected 150.000 so far!! So if you are living or holidaying in Catalonia, please go to the appointed places to sign!!

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Per aquells que estan visquent or passant les vacances a Catalunya, es volen aconseguir 50.000 signatures i ja s'han conseguit 150.000!! Ves als llocs assenyalats i firma si us plau!!

[DavidT]

There's no on-line version? Shame, really, but all the very best of luck on this campaign.

There are some horrendous practices carried out on non-humans; bull fighting must be one of the most gruesome. No, don't tell me about them, please!

Getting bull fighting banned would be an extremely significant signal victory. Fingers crossed everyone.

[veganese]

It seems that finally December the 15th might be the date chosen for the Catalan Parliament for the first round of voting for the law that will finally ban bullfighting in Catalonia. Citizens can request a law to be voted by the Parliament by popular demand by collecting signatures. In this case the Prou! (Catalan for Enough!) platform collected 180.000 signatures in Catalonia, three times more than required.
Bullfighting is considered the Spanish national sport and inherent part of their culture and even though in the beginning of the 20th century it was also popular in Catalonia since Franco promoted it as a symbol of fascism, violence and descrimination. Most Catalans found it offensive and progressively lost interest in it. Catalonia has always been more progressive than Spain and therefore popular rejection to this cruel and violent show has been a fact for decades.
However, there are still two bullfighting rings in Barcelona, Las Arenas hasn’t hosted a “corrida” since 1990 and is currently being turned into a shopping center and La Monumental, which occasionally hosts shows attended mostly by drunk and disoriented tourists who believe they are in Spain and therefore attending a bullfighting show is what you do here.
For many this is also an identity struggle, the Spanish parties in the Catalan Parliament: PSOE of Catalonia, PP and Ciutadans have delayed the voting as much as they’ve been legally able to by presenting amendments (link in catalan). This shows how the Spanish parties in Catalonia even without any kind of popular support try to boycott this popular initiative as they know this voting will make more clear the differences between Catalonia and Spain to the international community.
Whereas ERC, ICV will vote for the ban as a block the Spanish PP and Ciutadans will vote against it. The two major parties, PSOE of Catalonia and CiU will allow their deputies freedom of voting according to their own beliefs but CiU’s votes might be enough to pass the law.
The second and final round of voting will probably be next spring or summer. Let’s hope that next year bullfighting in Catalonia will be a thing of the past.

WILL WE WIN ?????

[whalespace]

That is interesting veganese.

A bullfighting ban in catalan would be a great result.

[Korn]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...h7tNAD9H7DA0O0

[veganista]

Excellent news, lets hope the rest of Spain follows suit very soon:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10788378

[nadejda]

Good news, hope they will ban in within the whole Spain. I've never been in Spain but my uncle lives there and he said the bulls are lefted with no food 2 days before the bullfightings and had been exhosted aditionally with no sleep and some trainings just to serv as a victim of a man's ego and be killed poor bulls, this is so unfare and unhumane...

[harpy]

I hope the rest of Spain will go the same way, but I've read that there's a tension between Catalonia and other parts of Spain so I'm afraid this won't necessarily encourage other parts to follow suit.

I've read there isn't much support for it generally though, and even seen it claimed that if it weren't for the tourists they mightn't bother with it. (So I suppose the thing to do is pick Catalonia for your next hols and then publicise the fact that it attracted you because of the bullfighting ban...)

[rrqu]

Bullfighting has always been one of the most disturbing things that people to do to animals in my opinion. This should be banned everywhere...honestly, are there any arguments for bullfighting? Just because it's in your history and it's entertainment, that doesn't mean that it's right. Slavery isn't right, is it?

[Keane]

I hope the rest of Spain will go the same way, but I've read that there's a tension between Catalonia and other parts of Spain so I'm afraid this won't necessarily encourage other parts to follow suit.

I think that this is the primary reason for the proposed ban. It's a way for Catalonian Nationalists to differentiate themselves and claim that they are not really Spanish, though bullfighting goes on in the neighbouring Languedoc region of France. If Castille banned bullfighting then Catalonia probably wouldn't.

[Tofukitty]

That's very sad to hear Keane, when I heard the news about the ban I was proud of the human race for about a minute. I have to say I've read about some horrific things that happen to animals in Spain and it's really put me off going there.

Edit: Would agree with what's been said above, bullfighting is just wrong, tradition or not. If humans were to do that to another human, Amnesty International would be there in a flash. I would consider people that watch the slow tortuous death of another as entertainment as disturbed. Isn't torture for pleasure something that serial murderers do?

[Keane]

That's just my cynical opinion, or to be more exact my opinion of cynical politicians.

[Encrypted]

Catalonia banned bullfighting but there are still some minor events like the "correbous" that politicians have made sure that they will never be banned. It's kind of contradictory.
Some other spanish regions are trying to do the same and ban bullfighting but I don't see achieving it very soon.
Most of spanish people is against bullfighting but when there is money involved, it's hard to find justice in it.

[Lynn]

Shame on them.