• The Minister of Territory and Sustainability expressed the Government’s refusal in making the suffering and death of a living being into “a public spectacle”
  • The Government’s response came after the Constitutional Court announced its decision to annul Catalonia’s ban on bullfighting
Minister Rull
Minister Rull talks to the press after the day's parliamentary session
In reference to the Constitutional Court’s decision to consider Catalonia’s ban on bullfighting void, the Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Josep Rull, stated on Thursday that "there will be no bullfights in Catalonia, whatever the Constitutional Court says". "What we are talking about is whether it is acceptable in the 21st century for there to be a public spectacle based on the suffering and death of a living being”, he told the press after this morning’s session in Parliament. “Catalonia has said ‘no’ and will continue saying ‘no’”, he added.
 
The Minister explained that the Government will deploy all regulatory mechanisms "to ensure the will of the people expressed by the Parliament of Catalonia prevails”. “We have regulatory capability and it is very easy to make a display like this impossible" he said.
 
 
Over 180,000 signatures
 
The head of the Ministry of Territory and Sustainability also reminded the press that the law prohibiting the running of and spectacles with bulls, including the death of the animal by lance, banderillas or sword, was drafted because of a popular legislative initiative (ILP) driven by the anti-bullfighting platform ‘Prou’ (Enough), which was supported by 180,000 people. "We are talking about animal rights and this is a universal language", he underlined.
 
In this respect, the Minister met on Wednesday with members of Prou, European animal rights groups and members of other parliamentary groups to discuss the subject further in the Catalan Parliament.