Animal rights activists demonstrated at the gates of the Plaza de Toros

By Yucatan Times on March 7, 2016

About 50 or 60 activists, members of different animal rights associations protested on Sunday March 6th at the gates of the Plaza de Toros de Merida, against bullfighting and animal abuse.

The demonstration was called by several local animal rights organizations such as “Anima Naturalis”, “Evolución Animal”, “Movimiento Ciudadano Animalista”, “Vegan Mérida”, “Huellitas de Amor” and “Cinco Patas”.

It took place just minutes before the bullfighting event featuring Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza, currently considered the best bullfighter on horseback in the world; along with bullfighters Antonio García “El Chihuahua” and Arturo Saldivar.

protest_bullfighting_2 — “Enough, no more bullfights” (Basta, no más corridas de toros) Photo: TYT

“We are expressing our disagreement with bullfights, Merida does not need this type of cruelty, we don’t want to see animals suffer for the amusement of stupid humans,” declared activist Estefany Munguia, representative of Anima Naturalis.

The protesters, mostly young people, stood on the corner of Avenida Reforma with Calle 35, right at the entrance to the Plaza de Toros, carrying signboards that read “Torture is not art or culture” (Tortura no es arte ni cultura, which rhymes in English and Spanish), “Enough, no more bullfights” (Basta, no más corridas de toros) or “Bulls yes, bullfighters no” (Toros si, toreros no).

“It is not a good thing that animals suffer and die in this place, by demonstrating we want to generate awareness so people know what is happening, bullfighting events should not be a part of our society,” one of the protesters concluded.