O Parliament failed, this Friday, thereferendum proposed by PAN to abolish bullfighting in Portugaland two other proposals, from the PAN and the Bloco de Esquerda, which intended to ban bullfighting events for children under 16 years of age.
The referendum defended by PAN was rejected by Chega, CDS-PP, Liberal Initiative, PSD, PS and PCP, with only the support of BE and Livre and the abstention of three socialist deputies.
The debate required greater intervention from the President of the Assembly of the Republic, the proposal was criticized by the PSD, Initiative Liberal and Chega.
The intention to endorse the abolition of bullfighting was one of the pillars of Inês de Sousa Real’s intervention and also the one that motivated the most bitter reactions.
“Every year, around 20 million euros are used to inflate this activity, like an oxygen balloon, which is not dedicated to any other cultural area”, condemned the PAN leader.
“Can anyone imagine parties without bullfights?”
“I was forced and they were the best times of my life”, said Gonçalo Valente, PSD deputy. “Is there anyone who can imagine the parties in Moita, Alcochete, Vila Franca, Abiul, Barrancos, without the wild party?”, he asked.
“We did it”, replied the parliamentary leader of Livre, Isabel Mendes Lopes. “It takes little imagination not to be able to imagine that parties can be held where there is no torture or suffering.”
“Wouldn’t it make more sense for people in these places to decide directly on whether or not they want bullfights in these municipalities,” asked Mariana Leitão, parliamentary leader of the Liberal Initiative.
“It is precisely in this Assembly that the abolition of bullfighting is determined”, defended, again, Inês Sousa Real. “PAN is not afraid to give the floor to the Portuguese people, who are on the right side of History, on the side of abolition.”
Animal slaughter by Muslims? “Islamophobic narrative”
Chega chose to attack practices from other cultures, with deputy Pedro Frazão criticizing the “slaughter of animals by Muslims” in Islamic butchers in Portugal. Narrative classified by Pedro Delgado Alves, from the PS, as “Islamophobic”.
In addition to extending criminal protection to animals other than companion animals, the PAN also proposed the creation of a National Animal Rescue Plan, as well as the inclusion of animal rescue in relief and Civil Protection plans.
On the day Animal Day is celebrated, it became known that, in Portugal, in the last eight years, the courts have already convicted 562 people for mistreating pet animals, according to data from the General Directorate of Justice Policy.
