Spanish Court Overturns Catalonia’s Bullfighting Ban

In a decision denounced by animal advocates, a top Spanish court has reversed Catalonia’s bullfighting ban, ruling it unconstitutional. Catalonia, a region in Northeast Spain that includes Barcelona, passed the ban in 2010 citing animal cruelty concerns.

In its 8-3 decision, the Constitutional Court of Spain ruled that the ban violated basic constitutional rights of Spanish citizens to work and be entertained. It said that although regions like Catalonia could regulate bullfighting, they could not outright prohibit a practice considered an important part of Spain’s culture and heritage.

The court’s decision has fueled growing tensions between the region of Catalonia and the national government in Madrid. The bullfighting ban was passed amid a growing independence movement in Catalonia and became enmeshed in the debate over political sovereignty, with both sides accusing the other of political motivations as Catalonia attempts to forge its own laws and Madrid tries to maintain its control over the region. Despite the court’s ruling, Catalan politicians, including the mayor of Barcelona, have vowed they will never let bullfighting return to the region. Thirteen-year-old Spanish political party Partido Animalista Contra el Maltrato Animal (Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals) has called for protests to be held in Madrid and other Spanish cities.

Catalonia was the second Spanish region after the Canary Islands to ban bullfighting. Bans are also being debated in several Spanish municipalities. Although about 2,000 bullfights are held across Spain each year, recent opinion polls show that public support for the cruel spectacle is declining, especially among younger audiences, at the same time protests have been mounting; last month thousands gathered at a rally against bullfighting in Madrid, reportedly the largest gathering of its kind to date.

Further Reading:

• Kennedy, Merrit. “Spanish Top Court Overturns Catalonia’s Bullfighting Ban.” NPR. October 20, 2016.
• Minder, Raphael. “Spanish Court Overturns a Ban Against Bullfighting in Catalonia.” The New York Times. October 20, 2016.
• “Catalan bullfights: Spanish top court overturns ban.” BBC. October 20, 2016.
• AP/Reuters. “Animal rights activists protest in Barcelona after Spanish court overturns bullfighting ban.” ABC Online. October 22, 2016.