OVER 100,000 animal-lovers staged one of the largest protests ever in Madrid yesterday (Saturday) calling for politicians to outlaw a bull-massacre festival in the centre-northern region of Castilla y León.
The bloodthirsty Toro de la Vega, held annually in the village of Tordesillas (Valladolid province) involves a loose bull being surrounded by a large crowd who hurl spears or spiked lances at them en masse.
Bulls in extreme pain, dripping with blood from open stab-wounds have no escape from their torture as they are trapped by the crowds – charging and goring to break free means they will be struck with even more spears.
Eventually, the injured bulls bleed to death, having been left lying on the ground while the next victim is let loose in the crowd.
Tordesillas' local council has flatly refused to scrap the Toro de la Vega, saying its popularity with residents more than justifies its continuing.
Nationally-famous and internationally-acclaimed pop and rock stars, actors, comedians and other performing artists have offered to stage a massive arts festival in Tordesillas free of charge in exchange for the Toro de la Vega being scrapped, saying their shows would bring in so many tourists that the event would more than make up for scrapping the bull-killing ritual and would put the town on the map for the right reasons, rather than the wrong ones.
But the mayor of Tordesillas responded that he 'refused to be blackmailed' – the artists were welcome, he said, to stage a festival free of charge, but he would 'not be held to ransom' by their 'demanding' he scrapped the Toro de la Vega as a condition.
The protest in Madrid started out from the central Puerta del Sol square, taking care not to coincide with another demonstration which set out from Atocha station at 19.00hrs with 2,500 calling for war refugees to be welcomed into Spain.
With over 100,000 participants, the anti-bull torture march doubled up the crowds who joined in an identical protest this time last year, according to the Pro-Animal Party (PACMA) which organised it.
This is the third year running the demonstration has taken over the capital, says PACMA spokeswoman Laura Duarte, and 'shows that the majority of people are against' the Toro de la Vega, and it is 'only residents in Tordesillas' who 'continue to defend and get pleasure out of' such a 'barbaric' ritual.
“We cannot carry on permitting this appalling animal torture in a modern European country in the 21st century, and we want to see politicians behind it putting an end to it immediately,” Sra Duarte stated.
PACMA has handed in one of numerous petitions, featuring 120,000 signatures, to the Secretary-General of the socialist party at central government level, Pedro Sánchez.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com