It goes without saying that the person who writes this is horrified to see animals suffer, and even more so that a spectacle is made of their suffering. I am what is now called an "animalist", although I don't quite like the term. It outrages me that the live torture of a bull or a heifer, or any other species, serves for the enjoyment of some, and also that the Law of the Spanish Government (left-wing) to protect animals has left out, for example, hunting dogs (the shelters are full of abandoned greyhounds). But I am also a democrat, which means accepting the decisions of the majority, even if I don't like them. I assume that there are traditions that generate great popular support and that there are local Valencian festivals, and I know of several, where activities with animals, such as the "Bous al carrer", have been part of their festive offer for as long as I can remember. Even some, like the "Setmana de bous" of Algemesí, were born, exist and are programmed around the celebration of bullfights. In the Valencian case the phenomenon is very widespread; The opposite almost happens, it is difficult to find a town where these "bous al carrer" in all their varieties are not celebrated.
It does not seem, however, logical that hypocrisy is staged from politics, as is the case with the Valencian left in this matter. There are many mayors of Valencian municipalities governed by the PSPV and Compromís (many more before 28-N) who have encouraged, helped and publicized activities not only of "bous al carrer", but directly of bullfights. Furthermore, with the direct participation of mayors and councilors from these same parties, citizens need to maintain a certain social complicity or, simply, because they like the show, which is also about that. Meanwhile, in the city of Valencia, that same left embraced an animalist discourse, demonizing the right-wing PP and Vox for authorizing these celebrations to return to the districts, and harshly criticizing the fact that the Valencian vice president and Minister of Culture, the former bullfighter Vicente Barrera, of Vox, announce that he is going to subsidize the "bous al carrer" because they are part of "our culture." Isn't that exactly what is being done in dozens of localities governed by the left with the support of the Provincial Councils?
I have the absolute conviction that animalism (I insist, a bad term) is, along with environmentalism and feminism, one of the main vectors that are conditioning thought, and political mobilization, in this century, no matter how much some insist on forcing an anachronistic involutionism from the institutions. We are taking important steps: just take a walk down the street and see how pet ownership has spread and how more and more people are becoming aware that mistreating an animal is not tolerable in a civilized society. The person who writes this is one of those, because he was one of those who hated the idea of having a dog at home and now I miss the day when I don't go for a walk with my dog "Roma"; I could never imagine that having an animal close could provide so much well-being. The trend is unstoppable and I believe that in the future the majority of society will end up rejecting celebrations in which watching an animal suffer and die becomes entertainment.
The left should review its global position regarding the "bous al carrer" and not resort to animalist discourse when a vice president announces his willingness to inject public resources for these celebrations. In fact, that same left has never wanted to approach the debate rigorously to adopt a common position, in Valencia and throughout the Valencian Community. Why not do it in order to project a common position regarding the celebration of these celebrations? They are afraid of encountering rejection from the people, who are the ones who ultimately vote for them, despite even the tragedies that occur with deaths and injuries. It already happened to them in Catalonia, where bullfights in the bullring were eliminated but not the "bous al carrer". The independentists, the nationalists and the Catalan left agreed that one thing was animal torture and the other was popular demonstration. What do they say here?
