Bullfighting in Spain is trampled by ban in Catalonia

Bullfighting in Spain has been part of the country's culture for centuries. The Pamplona Bull Run is one of the most famous festivals in Spain, which ends with a battle in the town's bullfighting ring - tourists and locals flock to the festival every summer.

But for a number of years, bullfighting in Spain has been slammed by animal rights activists as one of the biggest acts of animal cruelty anywhere in the world. As such, whispers of bullfighting bans have been creeping across Spain.

Today, bullfighting in Spain got a big knock when it was announced that it would be banned in Catalonia. The ban will come into force in 2012, and will affect bullfighting in Barcelona. Though the ban has been welcomed by many, it won't have as much impact as it could have in other regions, as there is only one working bullring in Barcelona that holds around 15 fights a year. And the events are rarely sold out.

Animal right activists are delighted that the ban has been enforced in Catalonia, but some local groups have been angered by the decision to put an end to an important aspect of Spanish culture. Whilst the debate got underway in parliament, opposing sides paraded the streets outside. Those in favour of the ban bore grotesque images of injured bulls, while those against the ban displayed the Catalan flag marked with slogans which read 'freedom and bulls'.

Bullfighting in Spain saw its first ban in 1991 in the Canary Islands. But at the time, the islands hadn't held a bullfight for around seven years. Catalonia is the first region of mainland Spain to receive a bullfighting ban.

Madrid and Andalusia are the most popular areas to host bullfighting in Spain. It's likely that bans in both of these cities will be pushed for in the future.

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