Less than three days after 40,000 fans packed the stadium to see a bullfight in Mexico City, a federal judge has ruled that bullfights in Plaza México must once again be halted.
Judge Sandra de Jesús Zúñiga on Wednesday granted a provisional suspension that will remain in place until the next hearing on Feb. 7, when it will be determined if the suspension becomes permanent.
The competition on Sunday — in which six bulls fought and all were killed — marked the first bullfight in Mexico City in 20 months.
In the first half of 2022, a lower court judge issued an injunction that sided with activists, mainly on the point that bullfighting hinders people’s rights to a healthy environment. But this decision was overruled by the Mexican Supreme Court (SCJN) in December..
That opened the door for nine bullfights to be scheduled from Jan. 28 through March 24 at Plaza México, now the capital’s only official bullring. It has been hosting events since 1946.
Now, however, the two bullfights scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 4 and Monday Feb. 5 are up in the air, as well as those that follow. It wasn’t immediately known if Plaza México would try to overturn the decision before the hearing scheduled for next week, or even if that would be possible by Friday.
In making her ruling on Wednesday, Fifth District Judge de Jesús accepted an injunction presented by the animal rights association Todas y Todos por Amor a los Toros (Everyone for the Love of Bulls).
Her ruling hinged on a law against “mistreatment and cruelty” for animals in public shows, rather than the 2022 ruling, which focused on presenting a healthy environment for people.
Before and during the Jan. 8 bullfight, members of the Todas y Todos organization– and others – protested outside the stadium. Estimates put the number of protesters between 200 to 300.
Her ruling was based on the Animal Protection Law of Mexico City, which while not specifically prohibiting bullfighting, calls for action when a complaint is filed.
Bullfighting is currently prohibited in five states: Sonora, Guerrero, Sinaloa, Coahuila and Quintana Roo. Meanwhile, it is considered as an intangible part of cultural heritage in Aguascalientes, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Zacatecas, Michoacán, Nayarit and Guanajuato.
Hope bullfighting goes the way of now-banned fox hunting in the UK. These are cruel cultural traditions. Surely we have evolved, no ?
We sure have. Now we kill humans!!!
Thanks to to the Judge for standing up against the worst animal cruelty in the world. How does anyone enjoy this horrible tradition? If you do, you are worse than the men who are afraid to give the bull a fighting chance to save its life? Cowards! Think they are big brave men! What a joke!
I hope this does become a permanent ban and not just a temporary suspension . It is time to stop this barbaric behaviour!
You have to love the feigned outrage of the animal rights folks and their message. You either agree with them or you are shunned and considered subhuman and should be subjected to shame, name calling and humiliation. Great way to open a dialogue, don’t you think?
What do you think is subhuman about having concerns for the cruel killing animals as a way of entertaining people. Mexico has already banned the use of animals in circuses and has laws to punish people who are proved to have maltreated animals, Whilst I take your point that people do use inappropriate ways of putting their views it is a very emotional issue for those that are concerned with the well fare of animals and they may express them themselves in a forceful manner I do not think people are feigning outrage they are expressing their outrage clearly for all to hear!I would like to ask you why you think it should be acceptable to torture a bull as a spectacle ? Why would anybody who has an iota of empathy with an animal condone that? And don’t say tradition!