The end of bullfighting in Catalonia | European Journal

Every year, thousands of bullfighting aficionados stream into the arenas to see matadors perform. Some call bullfighting an art; others say it's sadistic.The end of the spectacle is hardly pretty; the bulls die with gaping wounds and twitching muscles. Occasionally matadors or spectators are trampled by the angry animals -- or even panic-stricken crowds. Catalonia is the first place in mainland Spain to ban bullfighting. Animal protection activists gathered 180,000 signatures urging the regional parliament prohibit the practice – and it has done so. Bullfighting fans are now holding their breath to see whether the Catalonian example will influence the rest of Spain.