Is the Running of the Bulls event in Spain controversial?

Bullfighting is the quintessence of Spain. The reason why it endures and fascinates the audience is not only because it requires superb skills, but also because it represents the national spirit of Spain. Among bullfighting events in Spain, the Running of the Bulls Festival held in Pamplona is a high point.

So is the running of the bulls in Spain controversial?

Bullfighting ban

There is an international debate about bullfighting, and there is also a debate in Spain. Most people believe that bullfighting is a national custom that has been left over in Spain for many years and should not be banned. But there are also a few people, especially animal rights activists, who advocate banning bullfighting because it is a very cruel performance.

Some people in Spain have also begun to question bullfighting, a traditional form of entertainment that is not very consistent with the advancement of human civilization. The city government of Barcelona, ??Spain's second largest city and the capital of the Catalonia autonomous region, is preparing to formulate a decree to completely eliminate the bloody entertainment activity of bullfighting from this beautiful port city "within a few years". However, it immediately encountered strong opposition from organizations such as the Catalan Bullfighting Federation. The results of two public opinion polls in the Barcelona area stated that the majority of people in the region wanted Barcelona to become an "anti-bullfighting" city.

Bullfighting is a Spanish custom, not necessarily a Catalan custom. This is the reason why the bullfighting tradition in Catalonia is weaker than that in other parts of Spain, and it is also one of the important reasons why the region rejected bullfighting relatively early.

The fact that the bullring will be turned into a shopping mall is enough to illustrate the sluggish current situation of Barcelona's bullfighting industry. In addition, the time for Barcelona's TV bullfights is also reduced, and some TV channels have even canceled the broadcast of bullfights. ?However, bullfighting in Barcelona will never disappear "in a few years", the power of tradition is huge.

If the Barcelona city government passes the ban on bullfighting, it will not only be condemned by bullfighting enthusiasts in the Barcelona area, but also will be attacked by forces across Spain that protect traditional traditions. Barcelona is one of the four major tourist areas in Spain, and tourism revenue accounts for an important proportion of the city's national product. Barcelona tourism has five major attractions: sunshine, beaches, Gaudí architecture, painting art and bullfighting. Without bullfighting, there is no money tree, and thousands of people who rely on this big tree to survive will lose their jobs. ?In the Spanish royal family, some people like to watch bullfights, while others don't. King Carlos I and the Queen don't like to watch bullfights very much, and former Spanish Prime Minister Aznar doesn't like to watch bullfights either and never sets foot in a bullring.

Copycat Festival

Due to the increasing popularity of the running of the bulls in the world, on July 12, 2014, Cicero, Chicago, Illinois, USA also imitated the running of the bulls in Spain. The Running of the Bulls in Lona hosts the running of the bulls.