Bogotá's annual bullfighting season began this weekend, and with it the annual protests against the practice. The animal rights protesters, who call themselves anti-taurinos, were bolstered by new
Mayor Gustavo Petro's comments that Bogotá should consider bannin bullfighting, and that the city would no longer provide financial support for it.
Bullfighting certainly is cruel, and the spectacle of people cheering an animal's killing can't be healthy. But bullfighting, known as La Fiesta Brava, does also involve skill, courage and tradition. More broadly, it seems to me that other, much crueler practices, such as cockfighting and factory farming, cause much more suffering to many more animals, but receive little attention.
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| Enought Already! of Violent traditions. |
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| 'Bullfighting: Reinforcer of violent culture.' A strong argument against bullfighting. |
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| This car mounted with a bullhead drove past again and again. |
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| No more specieism! Apparently, speciesism is as evil as sexism and racism. |
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| The protesters' salutes appear disturbing. They were responding to the national anthem being played in the bullfighting stadium. |
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| Look at me. |
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| It's not art. It's not culture. |
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| No more olé. |
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| Anti-riot police on guard to prevent protesters from storming the bullfighting stadium. |
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| Pretty protesters. |
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| 'We want them alive, healthy and free.' But, if not for bullfighting, they wouldn't be alive at all. |
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| 'Bullfighting is art,' says a poster by bullfighting's defenders. |
By Mike Ceaser, of
Bogotá Bike Tours
Bogotá's annual bullfighting season began this weekend, and with it the annual protests against the practice. The animal rights protesters, who call themselves anti-taurinos, were bolstered by new Mayor Gustavo Petro's comments that Bogotá should consider bannin bullfighting, and that the city would no longer provide financial support for it.
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3 comments:
I really enjoy your blog its great to see my country form a different angle. As a young person living in colombia it disgusts me how people can enjoy the death of an animal.Saying that its part of our culture is a lie since it was something imposed on us by the spanish.We can not be rooted too deep on traditions or else gays and women NOT would have rights
If you never seen a bullfight i suggest you do, as a person who has been more than 3 live bull fights i can tell you its no pretty sport.
How can a country with so much violence allow such a violent sport.
Hi War Drummer,
Thanks for your comment. You're right, violence and killing are barbaric. Bullfighting does also involve skill, courage, tradition and elegance. But if tradition legitimized things, then slavery and wife beating would still be with us.
And no, I've never seen a bullfight, except on YouTube. I'm sure I'd feel very sorry for the bull.
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