Alex Trelinski
A ROW has broken out in Valencia after the Old Town(Ciutat Vella) district board approved a simulated bull run aimed at children.
Opposition political parties will file a complaint with the Ombudsman to ‘protect minors from the violence of bullfighting’.
On a date to be specified, parents will push round carts representing bulls to chase youngsters around the streets.
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The idea has been rejected in recent years, but the year-old Partido-Popular and Vox coalition majority outvoted left-wing parties to push the measure through.
It had been proposed by former bullfighter and local resident, Vicente Barrera, who is also the Valencian region’s Minister of Culture.
Barrera believes it will allow children to learn more about the culture of bullfighting including elements like the matador’s cape.
The far-left regional Compromis party says they make take the matter further than the Ombudsman and they blamed the ‘weak’ Partido Popular(PP) mayor, Maria Jose Catala, for approving the simulated run.
According to Compromis, the run contravenes the 2018 law on the Rights and Guarantees of Children and Adolescents, which states that violent messages have to be avoided in games intended for children.
Socialist municipal spokesperson, Borja Sanjuan, said: “What has happened is a shame as the PP has voted to pay to promote animal torture among children.”
Vicente Barrera said that bulls do not have ‘political affiliation’, but are the heritage of all Spaniards, and there is no argument in promoting all culture like for cinema, the performing arts and museums.
