In the heart of Spain, a quiet revolution is unfolding. More than half a million people have signed a petition to strip bullfighting of its status as cultural heritage, a designation it has held since 2013. The initiative, aptly named "No Es Mi Cultura" (“It’s not my culture”), has become a rallying cry for a nation increasingly uncomfortable with the spectacle of blood and suffering. But this is more than a campaign against bullfighting; it is a referendum on what kind of society Spain wants to be.
Bullfighting is a practice as old as it is divisive. Every year, thousands of bulls are bred, tormented, and killed in arenas across Spain, their deaths celebrated as art. In 2013, the Spanish government enshrined this tradition into law, declaring it part of the nation’s cultural heritage. The move was not merely symbolic; it effectively blocked regional efforts to ban or regulate the practice. Catalonia, for instance, had outlawed bullfighting in 2010, only to see its decision overturned by the courts.
The law’s defenders argue that bullfighting is an integral part of Spain’s identity, a tradition that dates back centuries. But its critics see it as something far darker: state-sanctioned cruelty. According to a 2023 survey, over 80% of Spaniards oppose bullfighting, and a growing number view it as an anachronism in a modern, compassionate society.
A Movement That Transcends Boundaries
What makes *No es mi cultura* remarkable is not just its ambition but its reach. This is not a campaign confined to animal rights activists; it is a broad, grassroots movement that has brought together people from all walks of life. Young people at music festivals, protesters at feminist rallies, and even football fans in Bilbao have added their names to the petition.
Aïda Gascón, director of AnimaNaturalis in Spain and one of the driving forces behind the initiative, describes it as a “watershed moment.” “This isn’t just about bullfighting”, she says. “It’s about redefining our values as a society. It’s about saying, ‘Enough.’”
The campaign has also drawn support from over 200 animal rights organizations and politicians across the ideological spectrum, a rare show of unity in a deeply polarized country.
A Future Without Bloodshed
If successful, the initiative would not only revoke bullfighting’s protected status but also restore the autonomy of regional governments to ban the practice. For many, this is about more than ending the suffering of bulls; it is about reclaiming Spain’s moral compass.
Bullfighting, its critics argue, is not culture—it is cruelty. And in a world increasingly attuned to the rights of animals, it is a cruelty that Spain can no longer afford. “This is a chance to show the world that we are a compassionate nation”, says Gascón. “That we value life over tradition, empathy over spectacle.”
The campaign has already surpassed its initial goal of 500,000 signatures, the minimum required for the petition to be debated in Congress. But the organizers are not stopping there. They are urging Spaniards to keep signing, to send an unequivocal message to their leaders: bullfighting has no place in modern Spain.
How to Get Involved
- Sign the petition in person at one of the 160 collection points across Spain.
- Sign online through the campaign’s website (though this requires a digital certificate).
- Spread the word on social media and encourage others to join the cause.
- Give a donation to continue this campaign.
The fight to end bullfighting is not just a fight for animals; it is a fight for the soul of a nation. As Gascón puts it, “Every signature is a step toward a Spain that values compassion over cruelty, progress over tradition.”
This is not just a campaign. It is a movement. And it is far from over.
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