Bullfights in Mexico City back in the world’s largest bullring after a ban on UNRWA employees involved in Hamas terror – the most important in brief

After a temporary ban, bullfights took place for the first time in the largest bullring in the world in Mexico. The traditional ‘Fiesta Brava’ returned after more than a year and a half to the Plaza México in Mexico City, which was well filled with spectators. In front of the arena, animal rights activists protested against what they saw as cruel matches, as seen in images from Mexican media.

In June 2022, activists went to court to temporarily stop bullfights in the capital of the North American country. However, the Supreme Court overturned the decision in December. Opponents of bullfighting denounce the suffering and killing of animals. The Plaza México has more than 41,000 seats. The world-famous Las Ventas arena in Madrid, on the other hand, can only accommodate just under 24,000 spectators.

In early December, the Latin American country’s Supreme Court overturned a June 2022 judge’s ruling that had banned bullfighting until further notice. The judge at the time ruled in favor of animal protection activists who had filed a lawsuit against the centuries-old custom.

The president proposes a referendum

But the legal dispute in Mexico is not over yet: so far it has only concerned the temporary suspension of bullfighting. A fundamental decision on the legality of bullfighting in Mexico City is still pending.

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on bullfighting in Mexico City, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador proposed holding a referendum to decide the future of bullfighting in the capital. “In this case, in my opinion, that would be the best thing for everyone,” the head of state said.

Mexico is a stronghold of bullfighting, which is also an important economic factor. However, in Mexico – as in other countries – there is criticism of the struggle of animal rights activists. So far, five of Mexico’s 32 states have banned bullfighting.

250,000 bulls are killed in battle every year

According to the organization Human Society International, approximately 250,000 bulls are killed in fighting every year. In addition to Mexico, the bloody tradition is allowed in France, Portugal, Spain, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador.

The exact origins of bullfighting are controversial. While some historians see the Moors in Spain as the founders of the tradition, others claim that bulls were already used in Mesopotamia. The oldest drawing of games in which bulls are central can be found on the Greek island of Crete: artistic works there from 1500 BC depict such competitions, can be read in the English encyclopedia “Britannica”.

Used sources: