Illegal Bullfighting spectacles in France.

Marboz, Ain, France.- The French affiliations for the defense of animal well-being, Alliance Anticorrida and OABA (Oeuvre d’Assistance aux Bêtes d’Abbatoirs) have for years been organizing campaigns to prevent the establishment of a type of spectacle that constitutes a clear step on the road to bullfights in Marboz (Ain). The mayor of the municipality assures that “ the spectacle does not involve the death of the animal”. Nevertheless, these declarations are contradicted by the facts, since next 24th and 25th of July a portugese style bullfight does takes place in the locality. In this spectacle the animal will have to suffer the ‘rejoneo’, a cruel act where the bull killers, mounted on a terrified horse, throw cudgels of up to 18 cms in length cudgels an spears of any size at the ribs of a young bull.
Having failed to obtain any response from the mayor, the animal protectors, who have already prepared their response to bring about a prohibition of this spectacle, have approached the prefect of the department of Ain, Régis Guyot, and the management the Veterinary Services, who assures that they “understand the alarm felt by the associations.”
These public officials have reminded the president of the festival committee, of the relevant rules both in sanitary matters and those of animal protection, and that the spectacle may only take place if it meets the requirements of the regulations set up years ago by the central Government. (June, 2010)