Mexico City bans violent bullfighting to maintain tradition, but no bloodshed

Mexico City – Mexico City lawmakers voted Tuesday in favor of banning violent bullfighting, sparking fanatic rage and celebrations of animal rights advocates. The legislation was approved by a 61-1 vote, prohibiting the killing of bulls and the use of sharp objects that could harm animals. This also sets a time limit, i.e. how long the bull can be used on the ring, part of an initiative known as the “violent struggle”.

The decision sparked angry protests from bullfighters and bullfighters, some of which attempted to violate police roadblocks in local Congress. Some people carry signs that read “Being a fan of La Fiesta Brava is not a crime, it is a pride.”

However, animal rights activists and lawmakers who have been celebrating the bill, however, walked to the steps of Congress and were surrounded by police in riot gear, fists and carrying plush dolls.

“Either it is, or nothing,” Sofía Morín, an animal rights activist who organizes culture, led an initiative to change the law without torture, Mexico without struggle. “We like this more because it is undoubtedly an important step in protecting animals.”

Clara Brugada, the mayor of the ruling Morena Party, responded to activists, saying the decision would turn the Mexican capital into a place where animal rights are respected.

After years of back and forth practice, Tuesday’s vote appears to be an attempt to compromise on the two battles of the debate.

Bullfighting has long been a tradition and pastime in Spain and many Latin American countries, but has been criticized for being abused as bulls are often killed at the end of the battle. Animal rights groups say about 180,000 bulls are killed in bullfighting cases worldwide each year.

A few years ago, a bloodless form of attraction was rooted in California Reported by CBS San Francisco In 2021. In this version, the bull wears a Velcro pad on his back, while the participants who ride on horseback tried to put the pole on the raspy animal. Then, “Focas” walks into the ring and tries to grab the bull from the corner, but does not bleed.

The tradition has long attracted a large crowd across Mexico, and it took a hit when a judge in Mexico City banned the practice in June 2022, closing an arena called the world’s largest bullfighting ring. The judge ruled that bullfighting violated the rights of urban residents to a healthy environment without violence.

Although animal rights advocates celebrate it as a victory and have taken a step towards ending bloody traditions, the Bullfighter said it has dealt an economic blow to the city. The National Association of Mexican Fighting Bull Breeders says bullfighting generates 80,000 direct jobs and 146,000 indirect jobs across the country. Overall, the industry generates about $400 million a year.

This is the focus of many in the crowd protesting the end of violent battles, while others like Juan Pablo Pimienta screamed through the megaphone, “This is an activity to fight the death of the bull in a bullfight. That’s its nature. This is the beast.”

2023, Mexico’s Supreme Court Overturned the ban without explanationonce again flooded the bullring with fans of the so-called “carnival”.

In a speech before the city’s Congress on Tuesday, Greens MP Jesús Sesma acknowledged that the decision would infuriate a portion of the city’s population.

“For families who are frustrated today, we are here to say no one has lost their jobs,” he said. “There is a middle ground to continue these bullfighting glasses, but there is no violence right now.”