Over 1000 activists and enlightened citizens participated in what is being hailed as the biggest animal rights demonstration in Spain Monday, 9th October to protest the cruel tradition of bullfighting.

This year marks the sixth such demonstration in Zaragoza, capital of the autonomous region of Aragon. The demo is always scheduled to coincide with the Fiestas del Pilar, which are days of celebrations in honour of the patron saint of the region, Virgen del Pilar, and take place during the second week of October. Typically, the festivities include such entertainment as dancing, music, Spanish theatre, and, unfortunately, bullfights. Every year, however, "participation [in the demonstrations] grows and the people who join are more diverse," stated Alberto Plaza, spokesperson for Amnistía Animal (Animal Amnesty).

Animal rights activists and concerned citizens gathered outside the plaza del Portillo, the town's bullring, and shouted slogans such as, "If you want to see blood, slit your own veins!", "Murderers!", "Sadists!", and "Islero lives on, Paquirri is dead!". Islero was the name of the Miura bull that gored and killed the famous bullfighter Manolete. Paquirri was another famous bullfighter who was gored to death by a bull.

As the bullfight fans left the ring, tension between the two groups mounted, but no incidents of violence were reported, though witnesses state that some of the pro-bullfighters tried to taunt the anti-bullfight crowd by hurling small objects at them.

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full story:
http://www.arkangelweb.org/international/spain/ 20061010antibullfightzaragoza.php