Protesting animal rights activists see the resurgence of bullfighting at the Plaza Mexico arena.
Bullfights returned to Mexico City on Sunday, despite demonstrators blocking the entrance to a crowded arena.
Following a municipal verdict that supported animal rights advocates and temporarily halted the activities for over a year and a half, Mexico’s top court announced the return to the nation’s capital.
Fans’ hopes were bolstered when bullfights resumed in the Plaza Mexico, the biggest bullfighting arena in the world, despite a court dispute.
Although bullfighting is still legal in many parts of Mexico, its future is under threat in the nation’s capital. The practice’s detractors claim it undermines people’s right to a healthy environment and breaches animal welfare.
The reintroduction of “fiesta brava,” as bullfighting is often known in Spanish, was greeted with cheers by thousands. As soon as the first bull entered the crowded arena, several cried, “Long live freedom.”
The famous Mexican matador Joselito Adame was the first bullfighter to enter the ring. On Sunday, six bulls engaged in combat. Everyone died.
A few hours before the event began, roughly 300 protesters congregated outside Plaza Mexico to express their disapproval.
“Murderers!” and “The plaza is going to fall!” were shouted by some protestors. Others held posters that said, “Bullfighting is sadism,” or they played drums.
Shield-wielding police stood ready. While some protestors flung stones and plastic bottles, there were moments of tension during the otherwise peaceful demonstration.
In May 2022, a municipal court issued an order to cease bullfighting in Plaza Mexico in response to an injunction filed by the human rights advocacy group Justicia Justa. However, the order was lifted by the country’s Supreme Court in December pending a resolution on the case’s merits and whether or not bullfights had an impact on animal welfare.
