Bullfighting - Art or Cruelty to Animals

Few Spanish traditions divide opinion as much as bullfighting. For every bull aficionado willing to defend their art there are ten who see it as just cruelty to animals and want it banned - yet still the practice goes on.

So which side are you on? Do the centuries of tradition, flamboyant costumes and fantastic shows excite you or do you see it as an anachronistic pastime that is no different to lion battling or gladiatorial duels?

Madrid and Andalusia continue to host bullfighting events throughout the summer. The stadiums are usually full, both with curious tourists and die-hard fans. The national Spanish TV network, TVE, shows bullfighting at prime time on its main channels.

In 2004, the Barceona city council passed a symbolic vote against bullfighting. The official argument against it was that it was cruel and that it had no real history in Barcelona, anyway - it was just there for the tourists. Critics have argued that the real reason behind the ban was to distance Catalonia from the rest of Spain. This was erroneously reported at the time as an official ban in Catalonia. I only discovered that bullfighting does continue in Barcelona when I walked past the Barcelona bullring and discovered there was a fight on that weekend. An official working at the bullring there and he had some impolite words to say about Barcelona council. He described the news stories on the ban as 'propaganda' and told me that there had never been a ban. He pointed to the ground and said 'here we are in Spain'; he then gestured to the ground outside and told me 'there is Catalonia'.

Bullfighting has existed for thousands of years and it has been popular in Spain for nearly a millennium, though some say it has existed in Spain since the time of Emperor Claudius two thousand years ago.

With the rise of the animal rights movement, an ever increasing number of people have been critical of bullfighting, both within Spain and in the rest of the world. The number of websites in opposition to the activity far exceeds the number in favor.