Animal welfare

Protests in Fornalutx despite changes to the bull-run

The Fornalutx bull, no longer with ropes tied to its horns | Photo: Miquel À. Cañellas

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterFornalutx07/09/2017 00:00

As each year there were protesters in Fornalutx yesterday who demanded an end to mistreatment of bulls and the abolition of the bull-run. The protests were against the background of the new Balearic legislation by which the "correbou" had to be amended.

The bull, not a fighting breed as has been the case previously, did not have ropes tied to its horns and it was not slaughtered after the run was over. The bull had been hired out for the occasion.

The run was delayed for a few minutes because of the threat of rain. The bull went along the Cami Tramuntana into the village square, where it was crowned with laurel. This was the first time that this crowning had been done for many years.

Animal-rights groups have given the changes to the bull-run some qualified support but there are those who would prefer it to be abolished. The amended bull-run, it is argued, is a compromise of a political nature. The members of PSOE at the town hall had threatened to leave the party if legislation had gone so far as to ban the correbou completely.

Later on yesterday there was a different type of bull-run. As was the case in Inca earlier this summer, inflatable bulls were used for a children's and family occasion that the Mallorca Sense Sang (Majorca Without Blood) anti-bullfighting campaign described as being "ethical and fun for everyone".