Thousands march through Madrid to demand end to bullfighting

Tens of thousands of people from all parts of Spain matched through the centre of the Spanish capital of Madrid on Saturday to demand an end to the tradition of bullfighting, local media reported.

The march was organised by 17 different animal rights organisations under the banner "Tauromaquia es violencia y tu la puedes parar." ("Bullfighting is violence and you can stop it")

Demonstrators highlighted that the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has lowered sales tax on tickets to bullfights to 10 percent, while it remains at 21 per cent for cinema tickets and also asked for a change of law to allow the mistreatment of animals to become a penal offense.

The spokesperson of the "Bullfighting is violence" platform, Laura Gonzalo said in Madrid that "it is time for all of society to say enough is enough," while another organization spokesman, Jose Enrique Zaldivar explained it was time that bullfighting be "stopped being an exception to the laws of animal cruelty".

The event ended with the reading of a manifesto agreed by 17 groups which had organised the demonstration.

--IANS

ahm/