INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST BULLFIGHTS
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INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST BULLFIGHTS |
BULLFIGHTS IN PORTUGALBULLFIGHTING SCHOOLS – TO LEARN HOW TO TORTURE The bullfighters begin at an early age to be taught in these dens of torture known as bullfighting “schools”. In these so called schools they begin to learn at the age of 6/7 years with the permission of their parents how to torture animals. Many of them abandon their real studies to dedicate themselves to this supposed profession. Since the number of children leaving school in our country without even attaining a basic education is high, many fall within this category. Many of these children are from families with low income that see in this “profession” a way for their children to achieve fame, status and most of all to earn a lot of money. Their classes begin with teaching them the passes of bullfighting by using a fake bull.  Later they train with little calves,young bulls and cows in the so- called practice classes. These practice classes also include visits to ranches of bull breeders to participate in tientas where yearling heifers are tested for their bravery and style. In our country there is no minimum age to fight bulls and so many of these children perform in bullrings at the age of 12 years old.  According to the bullfighters our country has 8 bullfighting schools, Vila Franca de Xira, Moita, Azambuja, Santarém, Golegã, Palmela, Almeirim e Coruche. These schools are financed with our taxes, mainly through the local authorities. BULLFIGHTS In the Portuguese bullfights, bulls endure the same suffering as in French/Spanish ones, although the bullfighters say otherwise. The horsemen that perform in Portuguese bullfights torture bulls in private rings to train. They also force the horses to hard train in order to get them obedient and gentle. In the Portuguese bullfights, the bull is brutally expelled from the pen to the bullring where he will face the rider who will stab him with several harpoons ("banderillas"). Due to the intense pain the bull tries without success to chase the rider in order to defend himself, but inevitably the only sufferer will be the horse, even if the horns of the bull are padded.  When the bull is exhausted, his body pierced by several banderillas causing extremely pain and torment, 8 men ("forcados") enter in the bullring. 7 of these men assault the bull, grabbing the head, whilst the remaining one grasps the tail eventually immobilizing the weakened animal.  The bull is then taken to the pen ("curro") where he will wait in tremendous pain sometimes for up to 2 days until the opening of the slaughterhouse. The banderillas are ripped from his body by force leaving huge holes and wounds.  It's said that after taking the banderillas out of their bodies, salt is put in the wounds and holes, to heal (!) the same since some of these bulls will be fought again. AZORES ISLANDS The bullfights performed in these islands are slightly different. Here they use horsemen with spears ("picadors"), like in Spanish bullfights. The Portuguese law nº19/2002 of 31st July does not allow the use of picadors, but as usual the authorities do nothing concerning these outlawed activities.  POPULAR FESTIVALS Rope bull A rope is attached to the horns of the bull before he is released in the streets with a crowd chasing him. The most known festival is in Ponte de Lima, in the north of the country. The Azores Islands also have the same barbarity. Running of bulls Several small villages in Ribatejo have these festivals during Summer. The bulls are chased through the streets by crowds. It's very common for some people to be terribly injured, or even killed. Capeas (region of Guarda) Several men herd the bull with a portable stockade.   Fights of bulls These are held in the north of the country, and the fight is between two big bulls of the barrosã breed until one wins over the other either by greater strength or by the other's exhaustion.  Festivals in small towns where the bulls are killed Barrancos Infamous village due to its summer festival held in August where during three days 6 bulls and 1 cow are killed by Spanish matadors. This bullfight is performed in an improvised bullring, constructed every year to the occasion in the centre of the village. The bulls are fought by Spanish bullfighters/matadors that stick in them several banderillas and after try to kill them after sometimes dozens of attempts with a sword. These bullfights were forbidden since 1928, until 11th of July 2002 when the Portuguese Parliament outrageously decided to legalize them, after the message given by the bullfighter lover President of the Portuguese Republic when he visited this village.  Two other villages, Aldeia da Luz and Monsaraz, also kill the bulls after bullfights in total contempt of the law. Monsaraz 2010  The men that kill the bull hide under a black cloth to avoid being identified by the authorities and so escape prosecution.  Once the bull has been killed, spectators frequently will touch his body in a kind of perverse worship. City Halls that support bullfights in Portugal. Please send letters, faxes, emails : PROTEST ALANDROAL Câmara Municipal do Alandroal Praça da República 7250 - 116 Alandroal Portugal Fax: 00 351 268440042 Email: cm-alandroal@mail.telepac.pt ALBUFEIRA Câmara Municipal de Albufeira Rua do Município 8200-863 Albufeira Portugal Fax: 00-351- 289 599 511 Email: presidencia@cm-albufeira.pt geral@cm-albufeira.pt ALCACÉR DO SAL Câmara Municipal de Alcácer do Sal Praça Pedro Nunes 7580-125 Alcácer do Sal Portugal Fax: 00-351- 265 610 059 Email: chefe.gap@m-alcacerdosal.pt ALCOCHETE Câmara Municipal de Alcochete Paços do Concelho - Largo de S.João 2894 - 001 Alcochete Portugal Fax: 00-351 - 212 348 690 Email: geral@cm-alcochete.pt ALJUSTREL Câmara Municipal de Aljustrel Av. 1º de Maio 7600 - 010 Aljustrel Portugal Fax: 00 - 351 - 284 601 611 Email: jfaljustrel@mail.telepac.pt ALMEIRIM Câmara Municipal de Almeirim R. 5 de Outubro 2080-052 Almeirim Portugal Fax - 00-351 - 243 594 138 Email: assembleia.cma@almeirimdigital.com ALTER DO CHÃO Câmara Municipal de Alter do Chão Largo do Município 7440-026 Alter do Chão Portugal Fax: 00 - 351 - 245 612 431 Email: geral@cm-alter-chao.pt ARRONCHES Câmara Municipal de Arronches Praça da República- Apartado 8 7340-012 Arronches Portugal Fax: 00 - 351 - 245 580 081 Email:cmarronches@ptnetbiz.pt ARRUDA DOS VINHOS Câmara Muncipal de Arruda dos Vinhos Largo Miguel Bombarda 2630-112 Arruda dos Vinhos Portugal Fax: 00-351-263 976 586 Email: presidente@cm-arruda.pt cm-arruda@cm-arruda.pt AZAMBUJA Câmara Muncipal da Azambuja Praça do Município, nº 19 2050-315 Azambuja Portugal Fax: 00-351-263 401 271 Email : gap@cm-azambuja.pt geral@cm-azambuja.pt BARRANCOS Câmara Municipal de Barrancos Praça do Município, 2 7230 - 030 Barrancos Portugal Fax: 00-351-285 950 638 Email:geral@cm-barrancos.pt BEJA Câmara Municipal de Beja Praça da República 7800-427 Beja Portugal Fax: 00 - 351 - 284 322 300 Email:geral@cm-beja.pt CARTAXO Câmara Municipal do Cartaxo Praça 15 de Dezembro 2070-050 Cartaxo Portugal Fax: 00-351- 243 700 269 Email:gap@cm-cartaxo.pt ELVAS Câmara Municipal de Elvas Rua Isabel Maria Picão - Apartado 70 7350-953 Elvas Portugal Fax: 00-351 - 268 624 334 Email:gabinete.informacao@cm-elvas.pt ESTREMOZ Câmara Municipal de Estremoz Rossio Marquês de Pombal 7100-513 Estremoz Portugal Fax: 00-351- 268 332 663 /268 334 010 Email:cmestremoz@cm-estremoz.pt ÉVORA Câmara Muncipal de Évora Praça do Sertório 7000-509 Évora Portugal Fax: 00-351- 266 702 950 Email: cmevora@mail.evora.net FIGUEIRA DA FOZ Câmara Municipal da Figueira da Foz Av.Engº Saraiva de Carvalho 3084-501 Figueira da Foz Portugal Fax: 00-351- 233 403 310 Email: municipe@cm-figfoz.pt IDANHA-A-NOVA Câmara Municipal de Idanha-a-Nova Largo do Município 6060-163 Idanha-a-Nova Portugal Fax: 00 -351- 277 202 723/277 200 580 Email:cmidanha@iol.pt LAGOS Câmara Municipal de Lagos Edifício dos Paços do Concelho Praça Gil Eanes 8600-668 Lagos Portugal Fax: 00-351- 282 769 317 Email: cmlagos@mail.telepac.pt expediente.geral@cm-lagos.pt LISBOA Câmara Municipal de Lisboa Praça do Município,1º 1100-365 Lisboa Portugal Fax: 00-351-213 236 259 Email: aml@cm-lisboa.pt gab.presidencia@cm-lisboa.pt MOITA Câmara Municipal da Moita Praça da República 2864-007 MOITA Portugal Fax: 00-351-212894928 Email:cmmoita@cm-moita.pt MONFORTE Câmara Municipal de Monforte Praça da República - Apartado 4 7450-115 Monforte Portugal Fax: 00-351- 245 573 423 Email:cmmonforte@mail.telepac.pt MONTIJO Câmara Muncipal do Montijo R. Manuel Neves Nunes de Almeida 2870-352 Montijo Portugal Fax: 00-351-212327608 Email:geral@mun-montijo.pt MOURA Câmara Municipal de Moura Praça Sacadura Cabral 7860-207 Moura Porugal Fax: 00-351-285 251 702 Email:cmmoura@cm-moura.pt NAZARÉ Câmara Municipal da Nazaré Av.Vieira Guimarães, 54 2450-951 Nazaré Portugal Fax: 00-351- 262 550 019 Email: presidente@cm-nazare.pt NISA Câmara Muncipal de Nisa Praça do Municipio 6050-999 Nisa Portugal Fax: 00-351-245 412 799 Email:geral@cm-nisa.pt PORTALEGRE Câmara Muncipal de Portalegre R.Guilherme Gomes Fernandes, n.72 7300 - 186 Portalegre Portugal Fax: 00-351-245 307 470 Email:municipio@cm-portalegre.pt PÓVOA DO VARZIM Câmara Municipal da Póvoa do Varzim Praça do Almada 4490-438 Póvoa do Varzim Portugal Fax: 00-351- 252 611 140 Email: pvarzim@cm-pvarzim.pt REGUENGOS DE MONSARAZ Câmara Muncipal de Reguengos de Monsaraz Praça da Liberdade 7200-370 Reguengos de Monsaraz Portugal Fax : 00-351- 266 508 059 Email:geral@cm-reguengos-monsaraz.pt SABUGAL Câmara Muncipal do Sabugal Praça da República 6324-007 Sabugal Portugal Fax: 00-351- 271 753 408 Email:geral@cm-sabugal.pt SALVATERRA DE MAGOS Câmara Municipal de Salvaterra de Magos Praça da República 2120-072 Salvaterra de Magos Portugal Fax. 00-351- 263 500 029 Email: c.m.salvaterramagos@mail.telepac.pt SANTARÉM Câmara Municipal de Santarém Praça do Município 2000-027 Santarém Portugal Fax: 00-351- 243 304 299 Email: press@cm-santarem.pt SETÚBAL Câmara Municipal de Setúbal Paços do Concelho 2901-866 Setúbal Portugal Fax: 00-351- 265 541 546 Email:gapc@mun-setubal.pt SOBRAL DE MONTE AGRAÇO Câmara Muncipal de Sobral de Monte Agraço Praça Dr. Eugénio Dias, 4 2590-016 Sobral de Monte Agraço Portugal Fax: 00-351-261 940 310 Email:geral@cm-sobral-monte-agraco.pt SOUSEL Câmara Municipal de Sousel Praça da República, 1 7470-220 Sousel Portugal Fax: 00-351-268 550 115 Email:geral@cm-sousel.pt VILA FRANCA DE XIRA Câmara Municipal de Vila Franca de Xira Praça Afonso de Albuquerque,2 2600-093 Vila Franca de Xira Fax: 00-351- 263 276 002 Email: presidencia@cm-vfxira.pt gap@cm-vfxira.pt gabimprensa@cm-vfxira.pt VILA NOVA DA BARQUINHA Câmara Municipal de Vila Nova da Barquinha Praça da república 2260-411 Vila Nova da Barquinha Fax: 00-351- 249 720 368 Portugal Email: presidente@cm-vnbarquinha.pt VILA VIÇOSA Câmara Municipal de Vila Viçosa Praça da República 7160-207 Vila Viçosa Portugal Fax:00-351- 268 980 604 Email: geral@cm-vilavicosa.pt cultura@cm-vilavicosa.pt AZORES ISLANDS ANGRA DO HEROÍSMO Câmara Municipal de Angra do heroísmo Praça Velha 9701 - 857 Angra do Heroísmo Açores Portugal Fax: 00-351- 295 212 107 Email:angra@cm-ah.pt GRACIOSA Câmara Municipal de Santa Cruz da Graciosa 9880-352 Santa Cruz da Graciosa Açores Portugal Fax. 00-351- 295 732 300 Email: presidente@cm-graciosa.pt geral@cm-graciosa.pt S.JORGE Câmara Municipal da Calheta Rua 25 de Abril 9850-032 Calheta (S.Jorge) Açores Portugal Fax: 00 - 351- 295 416 437 Email:cmcalheta@hotmail.com |
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