Today, the Catalan parliament today approved a ban on bullfighting that is due to come into force on 1st January 2012. It was deemed cruel by the parliament, 68 of whom were in favour of the ban and 55 against.
If you are not aware of what bullfighting is, it’s when a matador (or bullfighter) and his entourage use capes, lances and darts to subdue the bull which is killed at close quarters with a sword. The fight often lasts 10 minutes or so until the bull is exhausted, then the matador puts it out of its misery with a final thrust of the sword into its heart.
For the first time in over 1200 years, Bullfighting sees a ban in mainland Spain