(PA) -- The march went through the Spanish capital’s city centre on Saturday, with several groups united under one message: “Bullfighting is violence and you can stop it.”
Animal rights activists say the gory fights are among the world’s most blatant forms of animal cruelty, with bulls lanced and finally stabbed through the heart.
Matadors are praised for killing with a single stab, though some do not succeed in finishing off the animal with repeated thrusts.
The march, scheduled during the famed San Isidro week-long fair featuring numerous bullfights in Madrid’s famous Las Ventas bullring, is part of a growing divide between those who see bullfighting as animal cruelty and others who defend it as part of Spain’s traditional culture.
Protesters also demanded a change in legislation under which animal cruelty would be subject to Spain’s criminal code.