It was just a matter of time: Fans mourn, opponents cheer Barcelona's last bullfight - Polidicks

[release][h2]Fans mourn, opponents cheer Barcelona's last bullfight[/h2] [url=http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/09/26/us-spain-bullfight-idINTRE78O2TX20110926][B]//Source[/b] Reuters[/url] ______________________________ [b](Reuters) - Spain's top matador and two colleagues were carried out on the crowd's shoulders after the last bullfight to be held in Barcelona on Sunday.[/b] But the victory belonged to opponents of the "corrida," who had successfully campaigned for the emblematic Spanish spectacle to be banned in the Catalonia region. It was a day of high emotion in the separatist-inclined Catalan capital, Spain's second city. All 20,000 seats in the historic La Monumental arena were sold out in advance and touts were charging 1,600 euros for tickets, three times the face value of the top price The event marked an impassioned debate over bullfighting which has highlighted political, cultural and economic divisions in modern Spain. Fans, a number of whom had come from abroad, lamented the ban and said it was stifling tradition and people's rights. "This is like a dictatorship. We don't do anything wrong to anyone and we are banned from having a 300 year-old show," Josep Navarro, 60, a longtime fan, told Reuters. But opponents celebrated the last day of "death in the afternoon" in Catalonia and said they would push their campaign for other regions to follow. Hundreds of anti-bullfight protesters gathered outside the bull ring carrying posters reading "RIP," "Goodbye" and "A great day for the bulls" under the watchful eyes of squads of police. "It is a small victory, but the thought of having it in the rest of Spain and still having Correbous (local fiestas) here does not make me happy. I am here because six animals are going to be tortured here today," said an anti-bullfighting activist who gave his name as Luis. The law banning bullfighting in autonomous Catalonia was passed by the regional parliament in July last year after a citizens' petition. It comes into effect in January but Sunday was Barcelona's farewell as it is the end of the season. Though driven by animal rights activists, many commentators see it as part of Catalonia's desire to distance itself from culture rooted elsewhere in Spain. Fans view the spectacle as a deadly art, and it has inspired artists such as painters Goya and Picasso and poet Federico Garcia Lorca. But critics say the bullfight, in which three matadors in turn face six half-ton bulls in a ritual which ends with the animal being killed by a sword thrust, amounts to torture and has no place in a modern society. Its popularity is dwindling in Spain, although it retains loyal followings in Anadalusia, Madrid, the Basque country and some other parts of the country as well as southwest France. Corridas are increasingly poorly attended and Spain's severe economic problems have also hit the industry. Still, Jose Tomas, considered one of the greatest matadors ever, galvanized the crowd on Sunday. He was awarded two ears from the first of two bulls from El Pilar ranch that he fought. Known for his courage, Tomas only recently returned to the ring after a goring in Mexico last year that nearly killed him and he was estimated to be paid 350,000 euros for this corrida. FAREWELL TO CATALONIA The last matador to face a bull in Sunday's corrida was himself a Catalan, Serafin Marin. Speaking in his hotel room before the fight, as assistants dressed him in his skin-tight "suit of lights," he told Reuters: "Let's hope we can have bullfighting in Barcelona in 2012." Tomas, Marin and Juan Mora, the third matador on the bill, were carried out on the shoulders of the crowd afterwards. "Seldom have we seen a taurine spectacle with so much passion, but with emotion and rage, protest and impotence, nostalgia and even some hope," state news agency EFE said. Despite the fervor for this weekend's bullfights, ticket sales in Barcelona have usually not half-filled the arena. The Catalonian Bullfighting Federation collected signatures for a petition against the ban. The opposition Popular Party is also in the process of appealing against it on the grounds it is unconstitutional and an attack on Spanish culture. [img]http://i.imgur.com/rZRnG.jpg[/img] [sub]Spanish bullfighter Jose Tomas performs a pass during the last bullfight at Monumental bullring in central Barcelona September 25, 2011. Fans and opponents of bullfighting crowded into Barcelona on Sunday for the last "corrida" to be held in the city's La Monumental arena following a ban on the traditional Spanish spectacle in Catalonia.[/sub] [img]http://i.imgur.com/xrKva.jpg[/img] [sub]Spanish bullfighter Serafin Martin (C) and his crew pose for a picture in the hotel's garden before the last bullfight in central Barcelona September 25, 2011. Fans and opponents of bullfighting crowded into Barcelona on Sunday for the last "corrida" to be held in the city's La Monumental arena following a ban on the traditional Spanish spectacle in Catalonia.[/sub] [img]http://i.imgur.com/7byIs.jpg[/img] [sub]Spanish bullfighter Serafin Marin performs a pass with a red cape drawn with a bull and the word "Libertad" (freedom) written on it during the last bullfight at the Monumental bullring in central Barcelona September 25, 2011. Bullfighting fans will shout "Ole" for the last time in Barcelona's Monumental bullring on Sunday before a ban on the sport takes effect across the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia.[/sub] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Vubi3.jpg[/img] [sub][del]Like a boss[/del]Spanish bullfighter Jose Tomas is seen before the last bullfight at La Monumental bullring in central Barcelona September 25, 2011. Fans and opponents of bullfighting crowded into Barcelona on Sunday for the last "corrida" to be held in the city's La Monumental arena following a ban on the traditional Spanish spectacle in Catalonia.[/sub] [img]http://i.imgur.com/KU3br.jpg[/img] [sub]Spanish bullfighter Jose Tomas performs a pass during the last bullfight at Monumental bullring in central Barcelona September 25, 2011. Fans and opponents of bullfighting crowded into Barcelona on Sunday for the last "corrida" to be held in the city's La Monumental arena following a ban on the traditional Spanish spectacle in Catalonia.[/sub] [img]http://i.imgur.com/lsJxW.jpg[/img] [sub]Fans wait for the last bullfight at the Monumental bullring in central Barcelona September 25, 2011. Bullfighting fans will shout "Ole" for the last time in Barcelona's Monumental bullring on Sunday before a ban on the sport takes effect across the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia.[/sub] [img]http://i.imgur.com/l8t3N.jpg[/img] [sub]Spanish bullfighter Jose Tomas shows the two ears of his first bull during the last bullfight at Monumental bullring in central Barcelona September 25, 2011. Fans and opponents of bullfighting crowded into Barcelona on Sunday for the last "corrida" to be held in the city's La Monumental arena following a ban on the traditional Spanish spectacle in Catalonia.[/sub] [img]http://i.imgur.com/jhYVV.jpg[/img] [sub]The last bull to be killed during the last bullfight is removed from the arena at La Monumental bullring in central Barcelona September 25, 2011. Fans and opponents of bullfighting crowded into Barcelona on Sunday for the last "corrida" to be held in the city's La Monumental arena following a ban on the traditional Spanish spectacle in Catalonia.[/sub] [img]http://i.imgur.com/fqD9B.jpg[/img] [sub]People protest against bullfighting before the last bullfight at La Monumental bullring in central Barcelona September 25, 2011. Fans and opponents of bullfighting crowded into Barcelona on Sunday for the last "corrida" to be held in the city's La Monumental arena following a ban on the traditional Spanish spectacle in Catalonia.[/sub][/release] Well, I, for one, believe Spain has lost a big piece of national identity. Anyway, I sincerely hope those anti-bullfight annoying assholes can STFU now... they've got what they wanted.

[QUOTE=Pretiacruento;32491498] Well, I, for one, believe Spain has lost a big piece of national identity. Anyway, I sincerely hope those anti-bullfight annoying assholes can STFU now... they've got what they wanted.[/QUOTE] While it may be part of their 'national identity' it's still incredibly cruel.

Wow. Fucking PETA, I bet they were behind this. :argh:

[QUOTE=Stupideye;32491585]While it may be part of their 'national identity' it's still incredibly cruel.[/QUOTE] Yeah I understand that. But still... [img]http://sae.tweek.us/static/images/emoticons/emot-spain.gif[/img]

Whelp, their goes my dream job. Good job fucktards, many people are jobless now and you lost apart of your culture.

[QUOTE=Aerkhan;32491675]Whelp, their goes my dream job. [B]Good job fucktards, many people are jobless now[/B] and you lost apart of your culture.[/QUOTE] ... Really now...

[QUOTE=Aerkhan;32491675]Whelp, their goes my dream job. Good job fucktards, many people are jobless now and you lost apart of your culture.[/QUOTE] Because slowly killing helpless animals as a public spectacle is a dream job

Kinda sad to see it go, in a way. A huge part of their culture has gone down the shitter, cruel or not.

[QUOTE=evilweazel;32491769]Kinda sad to see it go, in a way. A huge part of their culture has gone down the shitter, cruel or not.[/QUOTE] Pretty much what I think about it...

[QUOTE=Stupideye;32491585]While it may be part of their 'national identity' it's still incredibly cruel.[/QUOTE] Be that as it is, it's still a terrible thing to take away. That's like removing Baseball or Football in America. We'd be losing a massive part of our culture.

While I do hate this kind of animal cruelty it is kind of sad to see such a major part of spanish culture disappear

Pop pop there goes the culture

[QUOTE=KigJow;32491701]Because slowly killing helpless animals as a public spectacle is a dream job[/QUOTE] One: They're not exactly helpless. They can still take out the Matador with them. Two: Slowly killing? Only if you're a shitty Matador, and if you're that bad, you're normally not allowed to fight anymore. Most kills are immediate.

[QUOTE=Aerkhan;32491675]Whelp, their goes my dream job. Good job fucktards, many people are jobless now and you lost apart of your culture.[/QUOTE] Oh no? It's fucking animal cruelty, it's like complaining that executioners will lose their job because the death penalty is abolished.

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;32491843]Be that as it is, it's still a terrible thing to take away. That's like removing Baseball or Football in America. We'd be losing a massive part of our culture.[/QUOTE] We don't stab the football players with longs sticks and let them bleed out, do we?

Well, it was bound to happen eventually.

[QUOTE=ExplodingGuy;32491901]We don't stab the football players with longs sticks and let them bleed out, do we?[/QUOTE] Good thing most stabs are to the heart and are almost instantly fatal. And it doesn't matter what the sport is, football and bullfighting are equals culturally. [editline]26th September 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=153x;32491916]Well, it was bound to happen eventually.[/QUOTE] Yeah, remember the lesson we had on it, how it was a fairly clean process, right?

It'll be like foxhunting, not a lot of people were that sad when it went All blood sports should stop, it's nothing to do with PETA, it's just plain animal cruelty

good

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;32491927]Good thing most stabs are to the heart and are almost instantly fatal. And it doesn't matter what the sport is, football and bullfighting are equals culturally. [editline]26th September 2011[/editline] Yeah, remember the lesson we had on it, how it was a fairly clean process, right?[/QUOTE] You don't know shit about bullfighting, do you? Two thirds of the fight is stabbing the bull so it looses enough blood to be finished by the matador.

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;32491843]Be that as it is, it's still a terrible thing to take away. That's like removing Baseball or Football in America. We'd be losing a massive part of our culture.[/QUOTE] I really don't think equating bullfighting and baseball is a good idea.

No, it's not clean at all, just look at the picture of the guy dodging it, the bull has 3 in it's spine, hardly accidental placement or a clean kill.

I would be up for bull fighting if it was a one on one without drugging the bull, and without the human having unfair advantages. Most of the time the bull is beaten, drugged, and scared by the people in the plaza, while the Toreador is all 'yo sup bitch im so glamorous'. It's a Spanish (or mediterranean) tradition, but a shit one, so I'm glad it's gone in Catalonia. If it was actually a fair fight without fioritures like the greek from Crete used to do, that'd be awesome man. It's still not banned in the rest of Spain, so it's only lost in one region (which is already different from Spanish culture) if you still care. I'm aware of the 'correbous' too, and I think that should be gone too.

[QUOTE=XxPsychoxX;32492024]No, it's not clean at all, just look at the picture of the guy dodging it, the bull has 3 in it's spine, hardly accidental placement or a clean kill.[/QUOTE] Not to mention the stabs that don't leave the spikes in the neck. The bull is stabbed several times in strategic locations in order to weaken the neck and lower the head. This allows the bull fighter to eventually stab it in the heart. The iconic bull charging with his head low to the ground is largely a result of this practice. Bulls charge with their heads much higher if they aren't wounded.

[QUOTE=ExplodingGuy;32491964]You don't know shit about bullfighting, do you? Two thirds of the fight is stabbing the bull so it looses enough blood to be finished by the matador.[/QUOTE] It's not like it's draining enough blood for them to die, it's enough for them to have to slow down so the matador has a chance.

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;32492097]It's not like it's draining enough blood for them to die, it's enough for them to have to slow down so the matador has a chance.[/QUOTE] It is a mixture of making the bull mad enough to fight, draining blood, and hitting specific muscles in order to change the bull's stance. It is barbaric beyond reason.

Kinda sucks. I went to a bull-fighting venue when I visited spain for a school trip. I thought it was great to watch. It'll be more upsetting if this ban gets put in place for the entire country.

I'm a bit surprised at how many facepunchers are sitting here upset that this isn't happening anymore. It's a horrible thing, and has no justification other than "culture" (ha).

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;32492097]It's not like it's draining enough blood for them to die, it's enough for them to have to slow down so the matador has a chance.[/QUOTE] It doesn't matter if blood loss isn't lethal, it's still cruelty under the guise of culture. It's not like the bull is the only one getting killed either, the picador's horses typically end up with broken ribs, and up until the 1930s, were disemboweled practically every match. Some horses still end up getting gored today. It's a barbaric seventeenth century practice that has no place in modern society, no matter how ingrained in culture it is.

[QUOTE=NorthernGate;32492269]I'm a bit surprised at how many facepunchers are sitting here upset that this isn't happening anymore. It's a horrible thing, and has no justification other than "culture" (ha).[/QUOTE] I feel like it began as a misunderstanding of how it works, then transitioning into a stubborn refusal to admit the mistake.