WSPA member societies at anti-bullfight summit
May 22, 2007
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) , Asociaciόn Defensa Derechos Animales (ADDA) and seven other WSPA member societies attended the International Anti-Bullfighting Summit in Lisbon, Portugal 17–19 May.
WSPA and ADDA have worked together on a joint ‘Culture without Cruelty’ campaign since 2000 to achieve a ban on bullfighting in Catalonia.
The summit, sponsored by Portuguese charity ANIMAL, UK charity the League against Cruel Sports and The Netherlands and Belgium Anti-Bullfighting Committee, enabled groups to share campaigning information and establish common strategies for the world to become bullfighting-free.
A major anti-bullfighting demonstration outside the Campo Pequeno Bullring – Lisbon’s bullring and Portugal’s main arena – preceded the summit. The demonstration was timed to take place during a commemorative bullfight, held to mark the one year anniversary since the bullring was rebuilt and reopened.
Anti-bullfight campaign successes
A landmark success of the ‘Culture without Cruelty’ campaign was Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, symbolically declaring itself anti-bullfighting in April 2004. Since then more than 38 towns and villages across the region have followed suit.
To date, over 500,000 petitions have been collected in support of a ban on bullfighting in Catalonia and a bill to ban bullfighting was proposed in Catalan Parliament in April 2005.
In a recent Gallup poll 73 per cent of Spaniards declared they have no interest in bullfighting, and in Barcelona, bullfights are now being held fortnightly rather than weekly because of dwindling attendance and support.
Leah Garcés, WSPA’s Director of Programmes, said:
“This conference is a unique opportunity for groups to share experiences in order to advance the anti-bullfight cause around the world. The next and crucial stage of our campaign is to secure a ban on bullfighting in the entire region of Catalonia. Such a ban would be a landmark victory for the anti-bullfight movement and would help to relegate this cruel ‘sport’ to the past once and for all.”
Representatives from twenty five anti-bullfight organisations from Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, England, Ireland, Venezuela, Ecuador and Mexico, attended the Portuguese summit and demonstration, including the following WSPA member societies: ANIMAL (Portugal), ADDA (Spain), FAADA (Spain), Société Protectrice des Animaux (France), League Against Cruel Sports (UK), Comité Anti Stierenvechten (Netherlands), Protección Animal Ecuador (Ecuador), ASOGUAU (Venezuela).