Bullfighting is a traditional European and Latin American sport that involves bulls being publicly baited, taunted, lanced and eventually stabbed to death by bullfighters inside a ring. Fights often result in severe injuries for the fighter, and always end in death for the animal. Despite its blatant cruelty and violence, the sport is considered by many to be a cultural tradition, and even an art form, and has thus evaded scrutiny in Spain.

In 2013, Spain's parliament bestowed “cultural heritage” status on bullfighting, making it nearly impossible for bans to be put in place. However, recent polls have shown that 75 percent of Spaniards have not attended a bullfight in the past five years, and that only 29 percent are in favor of it at all.

Any activity in which an animal suffers and dies in the name of entertainment ought to be considered inhumane. Such an outdated sport has no place in modern society.

Write to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) — the organization promoting global peace and collaboration — asking them to encourage Spain not to endorse bullfighting as a cultural heritage practice and to see it for what it truly is: blatant animal cruelty.

Background

In a traditional bullfight, a bull is first forced into the arena and taunted by a matador with a cape. Next, multiple men on horses drive lances into the bull's back and neck in order to impair its range of motion and encourage as much blood loss as possible. The bull is then stabbed with brightly colored darts before being rejoined in the ring by the matador, who provokes the dying animal and attempts to deliver the deathblow with his sword. Even if the matador is unsuccessful, executioners slaughter the bull after the fight.