A general interest item – Toledo has run out of bulls for bullfighting! Here’s an Internet translation of this article. Just to add, my friend Kate who lives in Spain says it’s not because there are no bulls – I did find that a little strange in the translation, but because of a drop in attendance.
The councilor of the Municipal People of Toledo, Vicente Romera, encouraged Toledo and visitors to continue to participate in the fairs and festivals of Toledo even though this year “is the first time” that the city runs out of bulls in their show. Romera, “after centuries, is the first time that Toledo bulls runs out the program of events and wonder what was due”.
“We as Municipal People do not know anything and have to tell since there are hundreds of fans who wonder and ask us the reasons that have led to Emiliano García-Page to eliminate bullfighting our parties”, he said. So, has indicated that it can “forget that the province of Toledo, Spain is the second most celebrated bullfights a year and its capital Toledo has been the first to turn away from what is known as the National Party,” he Toledo’s PB reported in a press release.
“Could it be that we will be paying some compensation to another region of our beloved Spain?.’s nonsense,” he asserted Romera, who he described as “poor and boring” program parties for this year.
Comments
4 responses to “Toledo – no bull!”
Hi Beryl. Oh, the dangers of internet translation! They haven’t run out of bulls – there are zillions – but this is the third year that the Feria of Toledo hasn’t had a bullfight, the reason being that the promoters found it wasn’t worthwhile, due to a drop in attendance, though whether this was because of the economic situation, or because of less enthusiasm and more anti-bullfighting feeling, one cannot know. Certainly, nearly all the comments in your link are against bullfighting.
The only reason it’s in the news is that a minor, local politrical row ensued, not worth discussing.
Thank you Kate. So good to know that it’s also because of a drop in attendance. Maybe the groups like PACMA are having an effect. Let’s hope so. In the meantime, I see the Tora de la Viega (?spelling?) is going ahead with a magnificent bull due to be tormented and humiliated in public – all in the name of the Virgin Mary. What crap!
It is amazing that the festival stilll hasn’t been banned. Yes, PACMA and some other organisations have had and are having a huge effect and have succeeded in stopping a great ma ny abuses, but this shameful festival continues. Here http://elpais.com/elpais/2013/08/10/opinion/1376149931_076004.html is a letter to the editor of El País from PACMA and here http://www.pacma.es/is the announcement of a big demonstration to be held in Madrid. If you look at the home page, in the top righthand corner you can subscribe to their newsletter.
I’d strongly recoimmend that people join PACMA, too, as it’s by far the nost influential and active organisation.
The RC church freaks me out, but I should imagine that these fiestas existed long, long before Christianity and that the church used them to draw people and rceoncile them, just as happened in the U.K. or anywhere.
Oh, look! Anonymous hacked the official website of the festival!
http://www.tercerainformacion.es/spip.php?article55882
and they give some FB links, but also the petition:
*PETICIÓN
Ayuntamiento de Tordesillas y Diputación Provincial de Valladolid.: Prohibición del Toro de la Vega (Tordesillas) http://www.change.org/es-LA/peticio…
and two people to email, fax or telephone (which is just as good in English.)
*ADDRESSES
Ayuntamiento de Tordesillas: Plaza Mayor, 1 – 47100 Tordesillas Valladolid Teléfonos: 983770654 Fax: 983796076 email: ayto.tordesillas@dip-valladolid.es Web:http://www.tordesillas.ayuntamiento… Alcalde: José Antonio González Poncela: Cuenta Twitter: @gonzalezponcela
Diputación de Valladolid: Jesús Julio Carnero Garcia Presidente de la Diputación de Valladolid Página Oficial: http://www.diputaciondevalladolid.e… Palacio de Pimentel C/ Angustias, 44 – 47003 Valladolid – España Tel:34 983 427 100 – Fax:34 983 267 919