International Movement Against Bullfights
INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT AGAINST BULLFIGHTS

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BULLFIGHTS IN PORTUGAL

BULLFIGHTING 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.


Photo of the bullfighting school of Vila Franca de Xira


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