Below you will find an overview of the most important news items of September 2011.

- There was a disclosure of new data on the number of organized bullfights and events with bulls in Spain in the summer of 2011. In August 2011 saw, in regard to August 2010,  a decline of 53.4% of the number of events with bulls. August is the month in which most events with bulls are organized in Spain. The decline can be blamed to a combination of a growing lack of interest in bullfighting ánd the economic crisis. It can no longer be denied that bullfighting in Spain will come to an end.

- However, the struggle is not yet over. CAS International, together with several sister organisations from bullfighting countries, has shown that there exists a possibility that UNESCO places bullfighting on the list of world heritage. This because the committee which will give an advice on the applying subjects consists out of several representatives from bullfighting countries. There is a considerable chance that they state a positive advice in order to place bullfighting on the list. We will do our utmost best to prevent UNESCO taking such a step. Read the entire report and protest here!

Logo UNESCO

- In September, together with Dutch volunteers, CAS International travelled to Spain to protest against the cruel Toro de la Vega. During this feast in Tordesillas one bull is chased by hundreds of men on horses and slain with long lances. This year, CAS International, together with the political party PACMA and HSI, commenced a campaign to generate attention for this subject. You can visit the website of your campaign here. As part of this campaign several protests were organized in Tordesillas, Valladolid, and Madrid, during which lances were broken, symbolizing the weapons that lead to the death of the bull. You can read more about the protests here.

- Finally, on the 13th of September, the bull Afligido was stabbed to death during the tradition Toro de la Vega. His terrible suffering has lasted for half an hour. Pacma as well as our sister organisation Igualdad Animal have made films and photographs of this event in secret. You may watch the imagery here and here respectively. We warn for the shocking content of this imagery!

- Our campaign resulted in a substantial amount of media attention in Spain. Our protests were broadcast by all Spanish TV stations. Moreover, many restaurants in Madrid supported our campaign by offering smaller versions of the lances to their guests, and to attract, in this way, attention to our protest. Aside from this, there has been a dialogue between spokespersons of PACMA, officals, and politicians. 

Protest Tordesillas against Toro de la Vega © CAS International

- In September the last bullfight took place in the Spanish city of Barcelona. This was caused by the end of the bullfighting season ánd the ban on bullfighting that comes into force on January 1, 2012. Media from all over the world have reported that this would be the last bullfight in Barcelona. CAS International is more cautious with regard to making such a statement. In reality, bullfighting will be prohibited as of January 1 2012 and bullfights can still be organized during the last three months of 2011 in this region. Whether this is the last bullfight of the Catalan history, we will know on January 1, 2012. Read more on this report here!