SPAIN: Bullfighting fans in Barcelona lament the ban on the traditional Spanish spectacle in Catalonia

Record ID: 375185

  • Title: SPAIN: Bullfighting fans in Barcelona lament the ban on the traditional Spanish spectacle in Catalonia
  • Date: 26th September 2011
  • Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 25, 2011) (REUTERS) **CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** PLAZA DE LA MONUMENTAL IN BARCELONA PEOPLE OUTSIDE LA MONUMENTAL POLICE VARIOUS OF SPAIN'S TOP BULLFIGHTER, MADRILENIAN JOSE TOMAS, CARRIED OUT OF THE ARENA WITH CATALAN FLAG IN THE BACK TOMAS GETTING INTO HIS VAN VAN LEAVING CATALAN BULLFIGHTER SERAFIN MARIN CARRIED OUR OF THE ARENA VA
  • Embargoed: 11th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain, Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA3BD8MGPQ3Y3AS0SG5RB4K64VU
  • Story Text: Barcelona's 'La Monumental' arena closed its doors on Sunday (September 25) after two of the bullfighters performing there were carried out by excited fans chanting "Torero, Torero".
    Jose Tomas, Spain's most admired bullfighter, received two ears from the first bull he fought and was applauded by hundreds of fans when leaving the arena which is due to close in January 2012. Sunday is Barcelona's official farewell as it is the end of the season.
    Serafin Marin, who also got two ears after facing his second bull, was carried over one of Barcelona's main boulevard "Gran Via" while fans chanted "Long live Spain, long live bullfighting" and "Freedom for Catalonia".
    Around 200 fans followed him and feelings were mixed.
    "I feel sorry because such a beautiful evening and such a beautiful party, which attracts so many people is about to finish here. Though it is only a break because bullfighting will be back," Victor, who had travelled from Seville.
    "My feelings are nice and sad at the same time. I was able to fight at La Monumental here in Barcelona last week. It was my dream and it came true but now it is over. I won't be able to step into that arena again," Carlos Martinez, a Catalan bullfighter apprentice said.
    After a local parliamentary vote in June 2010 Catalonia became the first mainland Spanish region to ban bullfighting.
    The bill went to parliament after 180,000 Catalans signed a petition circulated by anti-bullfighting group Prou!, which means 'Enough' in English.
    The region became the second in Spain to ban the performance as bullfighting was made illegal in the Canary Islands in 1991, a part of Spain where bullfighting was never a tradition.
    There is still a chance bullfighting might be back in Catalonia as opposition Popular Party is in the process of appealing against the ban on the grounds it is unconstitutional.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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