France’s upper house of parliament on Thursday rejected a bill to ban children aged 16 and younger from attending bullfights, which has sparked emotional debate.
In a 237 to 64 vote, the French Senate dominated by the right rejected the legislation that sought to protect children from “traumatic” scenes, but enraged aficionados of the centuries-old tradition.
French legislation bans cruelty to animals and bullfighting is outlawed in most of France.
Photo: AP Photo
However, corrida is allowed in the south in cities such as Bayonne, Nimes and Beziers where it is regarded as a cultural tradition, despite complaints from activists.
“Is it acceptable for minors to witness the suffering of a living being when their understanding of the values of compassion and benevolence is still being formed?” said Senator Samantha Cazebonne, who authored the bill.
“We have a duty to protect their innocence,” she added.
Another senator, Guillaume Gontard, added: “Adults standing up and applauding blood is an important symbol. And the responsibility of adults is to protect children.”
However, many others spoke in defense of the tradition and some even accused the supporters of the bill of “targeting” bullfighting itself. “Let’s respect our identities, let’s respect our culture and let parents choose how to pass it on!” Senator Laurent Burgoa said.
French Minister of Justice Didier Migaud said the state must not intervene in family matters “at the risk of being paternalistic, or even invasive.”
Although public opinion favors outlawing bullfighting in France, a bid to ban the practice altogether failed in 2022, with a majority of lawmakers wary of stirring up the southern heartlands.
The French National Assembly lower house never voted on that bill.
Many so-called “bull towns” depend on the shows for tourism and see the culture of bull-breeding and the spectacle — idolized by authors and artists from Ernest Hemingway to Pablo Picasso — as part of their way of life.
Anti-bullfight activists slammed the rejection of the bill.
“Once again, France has missed the opportunity to comply with the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which explicitly recommended banning minors from bullfighting and related spectacles,” said Claire Starozinski, president of the Alliance Anticorrida, a group which campaigns for the abolition of bullfighting.
“The best interests of the child have been sacrificed on the altar of tradition, denial and opportunism,” she added.
The Union of French Bullfighting Towns (UVTF) praised the move.
“The Senate has taken an important step on the road to definitive protection of bullfighting in France,” it said in a statement.
“The UVTF is grateful to the senators who have upheld the rights of the bullfighting cultural community,” it said.
American rugby sevens star Ilona Maher is to join 15-a-side club Bristol next month in a bid to play in next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, the English club announced on Monday. Maher, 28, helped the US to a bronze medal at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris and is the seven-a-side sport’s most popular player on social media. “This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal,” Bristol head coach Dave Ward said. “She is one of the biggest names in women’s sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will
Major League Baseball (MLB) star Shohei Ohtani wants his former interpreter to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of baseball cards he says were fraudulently bought using his money. The Los Angeles Dodgers star is also requesting Ippei Mizuhara, who previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly US$17 million from the unsuspecting athlete, return signed collectible baseball cards depicting Ohtani that were in Mizuhara’s “unauthorized and wrongful possession,” court documents filed on Tuesday said. The legal filing alleges Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s bank account beginning in about November 2021, changing his security protocols so that he
US skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she sustained an abrasion on her left hip and that something “stabbed” her when she crashed during her second run of an Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom race on Saturday, doing a flip and sliding into the protective fencing. Shiffrin stayed down on the edge of the course for quite some time as the ski patrol attended to her. She was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd before going to a clinic for evaluation. “Not really too much cause for concern at this point, I just
CLASH OF MANAGERS: Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler and Russell Martin of Southampton accused each other of disrespect, while both were booked Southampton on Friday were denied a priceless victory by a controversial decision as they drew with hosts Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 in the Premier League. Kaoru Mitoma spectacularly headed Brighton into a first-half lead and Flynn Downes hammered home an equalizer an hour in. Minutes later teammate Cameron Archer converted a cross from Saints substitute Ryan Fraser. A video assistant referee check of more than four minutes eventually decided that Archer was onside, but then penalized Adam Armstrong, who was offside, but did not touch the ball, for interfering with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. “I find it hard to accept,” Southampton manager Russell Martin
RSS