Bullfight Protest in Tijuana

Bullfight protesters in Tijuana used the internet to organize a demonstration on April 22, gathering in the Plaza del Zapato, wearing T-shirts, and holding signs and placards emblazoned with slogans denouncing the notoriously Spanish spectator sport.

“No Mas Sangre Animal” ("No more animal blood"), “Tijuana Antitaurina” ("Tijuana is anti-bullfight"), and “No Mataras” ("Thou shalt not kill…"), with an illustration of a crucifixion were a few of the messages spelled out as the group marched along Paseo de Los Héroes near the Plaza Rio.

The protest was organized by a group called Meta (“México ético trato a los animales,” meaning “Mexico ethical treatment for animals”). An estimated 300 persons attended the demonstration throughout the day. Some protesters who had brought their dogs, cats, and other pets adorned them with artificial cuernos (horns); other demonstraters wore bull masks.

Spokesperson Angélica Martinez was quoted by Tijuana’s daily Frontera as saying, “We are against the maltreatment of animals, let alone calling such acts an art. Art does not kill, it creates.”

The protest was caught on video and will be used in a documentary entitled ¡Toros Si, Toreros No! (“Bulls, Yes, Bullfighters, No!”) Successful political mobilization, as part of an international effort to bring a halt to the practice, has resulted in a ban on bullfighting in some European cities, notably Barcelona and the surrounding Catalonia region, where bullfighting had a long tradition and government support.

A bullfight in Tijuana is scheduled for April 29.