Robert Ménard does not hide his concern about having to organize one day, a feria without bullfighting in Béziers

Aficionados will tell you, a feria without bullfighting is not a feria. In Béziers, few are those who imagine seeing this tradition, which has existed in France for a century and a half, disappear, except for the opponents of bullfighting. For years, the latter have multiplied actions on the ground, and widely sensitized the public to denounce this cruelty, and by carrying out advertising campaigns on the news channels continuously. Four out of five French people opposed to the killing of bulls. This Sunday a new rally is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in the Gare du Nord park (avenue Georges Clémenceau) from where the traditional march before speeches will start at 4:30 p.m. in front of the town hall.

The final thrust may no longer take place in the near future

Anti-bullfights have never been so close to winning this mano a mano. The end of bullfights could however well see the light of day in France, as is the case in Colombia. The largest arenas in the world (Mexico) have been closed since June 2022 to bullfighting shows. Other South American countries could follow the same path such as Venezuela or Ecuador. Imported from Spain, bullfighting gradually established itself in the south of France. The first real French bullfight would have been held in Bayonne on August 21, 1853.

Bullfighting is going through an unprecedented crisis in the countries that allow it, including France and Spain, and the hope of seeing this barbarism disappear is growing. In France, a bill prohibiting bullfighting should be tabled at the end of the year by the deputy of France Insoumise Aimeric Caron.

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You don’t want to come to bullfights, you don’t come. stop pissing us off“says Robert Ménard. The mayor of Béziers, who nevertheless hates bullfighting, is one of the defenders of this tradition. On the eve of the opening of the 2022 feria, the elected official confided in France Bleu Hérault about his fears of see one day organize a feria without bullfighting if the bullfighting people do not wake up.

Discussion with Robert Ménard, the mayor of Béziers

There is a bill which is carried by an important group in which there are ecologists, France Insoumise. We have today the head of the Republic on the move, someone who hates bullfighting because she has been a project leader in this area. On the side of the National Rally, there are people who are attached to local traditions, but half of the deputies, who are animalists and who hate it.

“He has everything for us to lose.”

I still see part of the world of aficion, talks, but no, but not the Constitutional Council… What the Constitutional Council, but you’re kidding there will be no problem tomorrow if there is a vote for that bullfighting is prohibited. I would point out to you that in Colombia, a land of bullfighting, in Colombia the new president does not want to hear about bullfighting. In Mexico, which has the largest bullring in the world, it has been closed for two months to the bullfighting show and we stay here, without moving. It’s not looking around.

“We are not able to respond to the animalist current.”

The opponents of bullfighting are ten times better than us at talking to the media, better than us at mobilizing public opinion. We have the impression that like that has existed for a century and a half and it will still exist for another century and a half. Sorry, some things die. There are things that die and tomorrow, we’ll say what that wild thing was.

”I don’t really like bullfighting. You know I’m a vegetarian. I hate it all. I hate her, but I absolutely defend her because it’s part of this southern culture.”

It must be said that we are not species of barbarian who should be re-educated. You know, we would be like a tribe with somewhat surprising customs, which would be more up to date. We have to fight over it. No, we don’t need your high spirits.

“You don’t want to come to bullfights, you don’t come. You stop pissing us off.”

Take care of your onions. We take care of ours. This is what we have to fight for. I would point out that already, five years ago the previous mandate, for the first time, there was not a friendship group for bullfighting in Parliament. And my wife who had been the only one to try to do it, she had come across people who didn’t want to. If we do not understand that this is a bad sign, what do I tell you.

“This tradition, we defend it.”

Whether it’s Emmanuelle or me, we do things well. There are our personal tastes. It’s one thing in life. You, you are a journalist, you have personal tastes, ideas, and you hold out your microphone. You are a professional and you ask questions. Me, when I am Mayor or Emmanuelle Deputy, we speak on behalf of this territory, of our city. This tradition, we defend it. It’s two different things.

“Bullfighting remains an important marker that should interrogate you even if you don’t like it.”

What can we do ? Move heaven and earth. You have to do media campaigns. You saw this summer, there were campaigns on all the news channels. Whose campaigns? Not from the bullfighting environment. We do advertising campaigns aimed at ourselves. But I don’t need to go to someone who agrees with me. Convincing someone means talking to someone who doesn’t think like you. You have to go ahead of people. You have to tell them no, it’s something you should watch with interest, because in a somewhat sanitized world where death is never present, people now die in the hospital. You don’t keep the dead in your house. Look, this is something that may seem completely anachronistic. In this world, bullfighting remains an important marker that should question you even if you don’t like it.

“It’s important for culture, for humanity, for its diversity.”

You have to defend her, even if you don’t like her, even if you hate her, you should say, it’s important. It is important for culture, for humanity, for its diversity. Everyone bathes me with the worldwide diversity of cultures. I agree, but here, at home, the same people who tell you, all the same, you’re not going to touch the culture of an Amazonian people, he’s right, but we here should get back into the right path. It is worth defending bullfighting. Even, once again, if like me you don’t really like it. I don’t enjoy bullfighting. I defend it because it’s a part of us and a somewhat surprising, disturbing foreign part, but life is also that.”

Bullfighting (and the killing of the bull) is practiced mainly in Spain, Portugal, the South of France and in certain Latin American states.


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