Animal rights party denounces 'hours of agony' suffered by bull during controversial celebration in Spain
The Toro Jubilo festival in Medinaceli, which is seeking to be declared an event of cultural interest, took place amidst tight security measures and a protest rally by Pacma
As per tradition, the Spanish town of Medinaceli (Soria) in Castilla y León celebrated the Toro Jubilo on the night of 15 to 16 November. This is the only bullfighting event of its kind that uses fire in the region. While the town hall had arranged security measures for spectators of this event, which has ambitions of becoming an asset of cultural interest, animal protection political organisation Pacma denounced that the animal was suffering for "more than two hours". The controversy of the event was further highlighted by the Franco flags that some supporters of the tradition waved.
The town hall asked for respect for the tradition, while Pacma said that the suffering of the animal was accompanied by complete 'disorder'
The ceremony involves a bull, which is tied to a pole. Then, two large fireballs are attached to its horns and set on fire. The bull is covered in mud as protection from the flames. The animal is then released in the ring and revellers run around it.
Pacma, which called a protest rally in the town a few hours before the event, documented the whole celebration. According to its members, the animals endured "interminable" agony, while the event itself was "chaotic".
Pacma saidl that, during the 19 minutes that it took to place and light the fireballs, the bull's vision was "completely blocked", while it kept making distressed sounds. Once the fireballs were set alight, the bull broke away from the pole and tried to extinguish its horns by trying to bury its head in the thick layer of mud.
The animal organisation said that the "chaotic and pathetic spectacle went on until at least 1.30am, by which time a large part of the audience and even the Guardia Civil had already left, leaving only around 30 people from the organisation trying to sort out the situation". Once the fire went out, the revelers kept reigniting it by "fanning it with capes. Pacma said that, for this reason, the organisers of the event were "overwhelmed" and "totally incapable" of taking the animal to the ring.
Currently, judicial proceedings are being held to determine whether the event is legal. Pacma members have stated that they will go "as far as is criminally feasible" to put an end to this "cruel" tradition.
History of the event
Toro Jubilo always coincides with the day before the religious festival in honour of Saints Arcadius, Eutiquiano, Pascasio, Paulino and Probo - martyrs whose relics, as tradition has it, were brought from Africa to the town of Medinaceli on a bull carrying lit torches on its horns.
The bullfighting festival was not held last year. The town hall has asked for respect for tradition and reminded those opposing it that it is a deep-rooted rite. According to the ruling team, without such traditions, the animal would be in danger of extinction.
The first mention of this festival dates back to 29 September 1559, the date on which King Philip II and his third wife Isabella of Valois, who had just married, witnessed the rite from the central balcony of Palacio Ducal. Two other celebrations have also been historically documented: 3 August 1568 and 29 May 1598.
