Backlash Ensues as Bullfighting Makes a Controversial Comeback in Mexico City

Animal rights activists have staged protests against the resumption of bullfighting in Mexico City after a two-year break. The city held its first bullfight since 2022 on Sunday, which had been suspended indefinitely due to concerns raised by animal rights activists. The activists had filed a lawsuit against the practice, and a judge initially ruled in their favor. However, last month, the Supreme Court overturned the decision, leading to a legal battle between the supporters and opponents of bullfighting. It is reported that the judges only made a decision on technical aspects and are yet to rule on the case's merits. The protesters gathered near the Plaza de México bullring, the world's largest bullfighting arena, shouting slogans such as "Torture is not art, it is not culture." They carried banners with messages like "no more deaths of innocents" while some wore bull masks and painted themselves in red. Inside the venue, however, thousands of people celebrated the return of bullfighting and chanted "long live freedom." President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has suggested a referendum to determine the future of bullfighting in Mexico City. According to Humane Society International, approximately 250,000 bulls are killed in bullfights worldwide each year. While bullfighting remains legal in many parts of Mexico, the country is one of the few that still permits this practice. Other countries that allow bullfighting include France, Portugal, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador, although some cities in Spain have banned the practice.