Barcelona Bans Bull Fights

Catalonia, the northeast region of Spain of which Barcelona is the capital, voted to ban bullfighting on December 18. Campaigners collected 168,000 signatures to set the ban in motion. Sixty-seven deputies voted for the ban, while 59 voted against it and five people abstained. The ban will change animal-cruelty laws to include fighting bulls, which are currently exempt from legislation that outlaws animal torture. The motion requires another vote next year before the ban is official. Defenders of bullfighting say this ban is less about animal welfare and more about ridding Catalonia of a Spanish cultural tradition that is integral to the economy. Proponents of the ban say this legislation could expand to other areas of Spain, eliminating the cruel sport from the rest of the country.