SPAIN: A Barcelona bullfighter hopes for a great show as he gets ready for his last outing in the city before a ban on the sport takes effort across Spain's Catalonia region

Record ID: 375303

  • Title: SPAIN: A Barcelona bullfighter hopes for a great show as he gets ready for his last outing in the city before a ban on the sport takes effort across Spain's Catalonia region
  • Date: 26th September 2011
  • Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 25, 2011) (REUTERS) PLAZA DE LA MONUMENTAL IN BARCELONA PEOPLE AT LA MONUMENTAL ENTRANCE BANNER READING "LA MONUMENTAL" AND PEOPLE AT ENTRANCE POLICEMAN PEOPLE AT LA MONUMENTAL
  • Embargoed: 11th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain, Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Politics,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA3E6QP62SIJ4AALLOXKNPIKC6S
  • Story Text: Outside Barcelona's La Monumental, there was much excitement on Sunday (September 25) as the region's last bullfighting session was about to start.
    After a local parliamentary vote in June 2010 that pitted animal rights activists against fans of bullfighting, Catalonia became the first mainland Spanish region to ban bullfighting. The ban comes into force in January 2012.
    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.
    Bullfighting fans were disappointed but were out in full force to celebrate the national party, especially since Spain's most celebrated bullfighter Jose Tomas was performing the last show.
    "Barcelona blocked, Barcelona original. Barcelona today is big because today Jose Tomas fights here," a fan named Amparo sang. Others were hopeful an appeal at Spain's Constitutional court would reverse the decision.
    "I can't believe it. This has hit hard but it is not the final stab. It is a hard and sad situation but it is not the end," another fan Juan said.
    Anti-bullfighting activists also gathered in front of La Monumental, with a big Spanish flag reading: "The big national embarrassment".
    Lluis, who has been demonstrating in front of La Monumental for seven years, said it was only a small triumph.
    "It is a small victory, but the thought of having it in the rest of the Peninsula and still having "Correbous" here does not make me happy. It is a small victory and I am here because six animals are going to be tortured here today," he said, referring to the Catalan correbous tradition, in which the bull is subjected to stress but not killed.
    Serafin Marin, a Catalan bullfighter, will be in charge of fighting the last bull at Barcelona's La Monumental.
    The 28-year-old bullfighter, who started his career in Madrid's Las Ventas arena in 2001, starts Sunday's show with two of Spain's top bullfighters, Jose Tomas and Juan Mora.
    Marin said he was focusing on the show. "I don't want to think about it now. I am responsible for this evening," he told Reuters as he got dressed.
    "I hope everything turns out great, that nothing happens, that everybody is happy, that they carry me out of the arena. And after that let God decide. Let's hope we can have bullfighting in Barcelona in 2012," Marin said.
    Some 20,000 spectators are expected to fill a sold-out Monumental -- the only bullring still operating in Catalonia -- for the blockbuster corrida starring celebrated Madrid "torero" Jose Tomas.
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