Colombia protesters demand bull-fighting ban

[March 29, 2023]  BOGOTA (Reuters) - Demonstrators in Colombia's capital Bogota protested bull fighting and bull running on Tuesday, calling on lawmakers to ban the practice.  

Dozens of protesters - including eight half-naked demonstrators painted in fake blood while wearing just shorts and bull masks - gathered outside the country's Congress in Bolivar Square.

Animal rights activists take part in a demonstration demanding the approval of a law that prohibits bullfights and events where animals are abused, in Bogota, Colombia March 28, 2023. The sign reads "be the voice of the bull". REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez

"We're here to scream in a united voice that Colombia is in the process of building peace and that peace must also include animals," protester Derly Flores said.

Protesters were accompanied by senator and activist Andrea Padilla, who said support for bull fighting was pushed by landowners.

"We frequently see people with their entrails and eyes hanging out from bull running, victims of their own stupidity," Padilla said.

(Reporting by Javier Rojas and Camilo Cohecha; Writing by Oliver Griffin and Stephen Coates)

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