Ricky Gervais joins campaign against bullfighting.
by Jennifer Mishler
Categories: Animals, Causes
Tags: .

Ricky Gervais recently asked his fans to speak out against the UK’s badger cull. Now, the star has joined in the fight against bullfighting.

“Bullfighting is so cruel. I can think of nothing worse than inflicting terrible pain, fear and suffering on a beautiful animal for the sake of amusement,” said Gervais. He has joined in the “Love Spain, Hate Bullfighting” campaign by Humane Society International (HSI), which is calling on the Spanish government to end bullfighting, a move that HSI says “would surely win the hearts of citizens around the world.” They provide a pre-written letter to send to the government. Spain is considering a law that would protect bullfighting by declaring it part of the country’s cultural heritage, allowing public funds to be used in funding and promoting bullfights.

The organization writes, “Right now, the Spanish government is considering a law to protect and promote bullfighting, an outdated spectacle that causes the slow & tortuous death of a beautiful bull. The majority of Spanish citizens don’t support bullfighting. Nor do they want their taxes spent protecting it. The torment and death of animals for amusement, or for cultural reasons, can never be acceptable. It is cruel and outdated, and has no place in a modern society.”

According to HSI, 250,000 bulls are killed in bullfights each year.  “The animals are stabbed multiple times before suffering slow, agonizing deaths in front of an audience, including children…Bullfights are not ‘fair fights’ between a bull and a matador, but highly staged forms of animal cruelty, sanctioned and subsidized by governments.” The organization reports that bullfight attendance is at an all-time low and bans have been established in several countries and cities. Spain, France, Portugal, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, and Mexico still hold bullfighting events, says HSI.

The organization says that the main focuses of their campaign are ending the use of public funds by the government to support bullfighting and putting an end to child bullfighting.

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