Bullfighting: the killing of the bull in three acts
There is no natural aggression in the bull that opposes only its rivals to conquer the favors of a female. So for the show, you have to use tricks. Out of the bull pen, it is brought to a state of breathlessness by long runs. Then, the picadors, at the risk of their mounts, provoke him further by stabbing him in the withers and then cut the ligaments of his neck, so that he keeps his forehead lowered. The banderillas are then planted behind his back, serve to evacuate the blood and prevent internal bleeding. Finally, on the already bruised withers of the bull, the toreador carries the final thrust. If the bull still resists, he will stab a dagger into the spinal cord with more or less success. The ears and the tail will then be cut from the animal, sometimes still alive.
A traditional show where violence is trivialized
These scenes of real torture generate the excitement of the public, where one will even find children. They can attend from 6 years of age, if accompanied by an adult, or even practice from 8 or 9 years old in bullfighting schools. For violent films, they will have to wait to be 16 years of age...
This "display" is made of "acts of cruelty and [serious] abuse towards animals" condemned by the Penal Code. It enjoys an exemption in certain regions when it is part of a "continuous and uninterrupted" local tradition. However, it was not until 1853 that Spanish bullfighting arrived in France!
The death of an animal represents nothing of a show. Bullfighting - bullfighting but also bull races in Camargue and Les Landes regions - contributes to the trivialization of violence. Far from sport or art, these practices must be banned throughout the entire French territory, without exception, rather than subsidized by town halls in search of local animation.
