Irish Activist Protests Bullfighting in London!

national | animal rights | news report Monday July 02, 2007 19:06 by Siobhan Higgins - Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) arancampaigns at eircom dot net ARAN, Po Box 722 Kildare, Ireland

Ban Bullfighting

With just days to go before PETA’s Running of the Nudes (www.runningofthenudes.com) PETA members including an Irish activist painted in the Irish flag colors staged a creative event outside the Spanish embassy in London today at 12 noon, wearing little more than body paint and a banner that read “The World Is Watching – Ban Bullfighting”. Every year Irish Animal Rights Action Network members travel to Pamplona to take part in PETA’s Running of the Nudes which is a fun and humane alternative to the cruel running of bulls and bullfighting. Last year over 1000 people took part in this fun event, check out www.ARAN.ie to see more.

Worldwide opposition to bullfighting is mounting. According to recent surveys, the vast majority of Europeans – including 72 per cent of Spaniards – have no interest in bullfighting. In 2004, the Barcelona City Council declared Barcelona an anti-bullfighting city in an effort to eventually ban this cruel blood sport, and 40 other Spanish towns – including Torello, Calldetenes and Olot – have followed suit.
Every year, more than 40,000 bulls are slaughtered during Spanish bullfights. The bulls are often intentionally debilitated with tranquilizers, laxatives or beatings and have petroleum jelly rubbed into their eyes in order to impair their vision. Lances are driven into the animals' back and neck muscles, causing them to suffer significant blood loss before they are stabbed to death. Their deaths frequently entail repeated stabbings, and sometimes the animals are still conscious when their spinal cords are severed.

December 2007 Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) will organize another rally against animal cruelty with this year’s theme being ‘Have A Heart For Animals’ we’ll also support the bullfighting campaign during this exciting, touching event.
Thank you from us all at nationwide at Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN)