Bull festival provokes further controversy in Spain

One of the most controversial annual events in Spain, the Toro de la Vega Festival (La Vega Bull festival), took place in the town of Tordesillas on Tuesday amid protests and confrontations between those in favor and against the event.

The festival sees a fighting bull of over 600 kg pursued through the town in central Spain and the surrounding countryside by men on horseback all of whom are armed with lances all of whom compete to be able to stab it to death.

All of this is watched by hundreds of onlookers who hurry after the bull with the aim of being there at the death.

Due to the cruelty involved, the festival is known all over the world and widely condemned for the brutal manner in which the exhausted animal is killed.

This year's event was watched over by 150 police and Civil Guards, but they were unable to stop a number of physical and verbal confrontations between supporters and hundreds of opponents of the event who tried to stop the festival.

Defenders of the Toro de la Vega say it a tradition which dates back to the 1330s. Opponents highlight the extreme cruelty and point out what was considered acceptable in 1335 is not acceptable today.

Last weekend, thousands of people protested against the festival in Madrid.

The bull killed this year weighed 640 kg and was named Rompesuelos (Groundbreaker). However, the judges of the event said he had been killed outside the permitted zone, hence no winner was declared in the competition to kill him.

This could be the last year the Toro de la Vega is celebrated as the Spanish Socialist Party has promised to abolish the festival if they win this year's general election.

Festivals involving bulls take place all over Spain and this summer has seen a record 12 people killed by bulls during events. Endite