A Madrid travel guide has been described as a "blatant promotion of bullfighting" by the Fight Against Animal Cruelty in Europe.
FAACE chairman, Tony Moore, strongly criticised the Lonely Planet's guide to the Spanish capital for telling holidaymakers how to get tickets to bullfights.
The guide, edited by Anthony Ham and published in October 2008, refers to bullfighting as either "an epic drama of blood and sand or a cruel blood 'sport' that has no place in modern Europe" but goes on to recommend an agency where tickets can be purchased to witness the appalling spectacle.
'The guide makes it obvious where Lonely Planet stands on the question of bullfighting,' Mr Moore asserts. 'At the very beginning of the guide a picture is chosen featuring the interior of a pro-bullfighting restaurant. They also write that 'nothing can exceed the gaiety and sparkle of a Spanish public going eager and full-dressed to the fight' and that bullfighting is 'at once picturesque, compelling theatre and an ancient ritual that sees 30,000 bulls killed in 17,000 bullfights each year in Spain.'
In the book's "Getting Started" section, readers are told that if they "really want to see a bullfight to see what all the fuss is about", they can "turn to page 220 for information on how to book ahead."
"The country's most prestigious bullfighting season also commences and continues for a month at the bullring Plaza de Toros Monumental," it adds.
In a letter to Lonely Planet, ICABS expressed our disgust that the company is presenting a visit to a bullfight as a holiday activity. We highlighted how bulls suffer enormously in the bullring.
"We hope that Lonely Planet will show compassion and stop presenting bullfighting as a holiday activity," we stated. "Instead, please alert readers to the horrendous suffering inflicted on bulls and warn them that witnessing this bloody and violent spectacle can be very upsetting and cast a dark shadow across holiday memories."
ACTION ALERT
Please join the international appeal to Lonely Planet and forward this action alert to all your friends. Email "Stop publicising bullfighting in your Madrid city guide" to the following:
pressenq@lonelyplanet.co.uk
(With copy to: go@lonelyplanet.co.uk, pressusa@lonelyplanet.com, info@lonelyplanet.com, talk2us@lonelyplanet.com.au)
For more anti-bullfighting action alerts, please check out the Summer 2009 Edition of our magazine, "Ban Bullfighting News". Please download and distribute to all your friends.
View "Ban Bullfighting News" at:
www.scribd.com/doc/15922102/Ban-Bull...
Download "Ban Bullfighting News" from:
http://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/...
(pdf 3.8 Mb)
Publicise "Ban Bullfighting News" on Twitter
Does the ISPCA have a page?
sum love keep up d gud work guys xxxxx
I am quite sure that I heard the RTE 1 radio station mention coursing this morning.
I think it was mentioned as a sports results report.
I certainly found it a sickening thing to wake up to!
I hope you manage to stop this, if possible.
Help the hares!
do yous often do protests against fox hunting?
Dat video is so upsetting duno how dey get away with d killing of all those innocent animals
happy new year xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Wishing everyone who is against all types of animal cruelty a very very happy Christmas. Keep up all the great work in 2009 - the animals need us. To Richie who commented below - its spelt amount !!!!
For all those who are anti-bloodsports. Try to attend the anti-foxhunting protest on December 26th in Carrigaline or and the anti Hare-coursing in Blarney. Wishing you and your family and friends a very happy Christmas.
well hows things hows the campaign going
i voted no too!
the wolf is already extinct in this country because of human interference, there is no chance of ever reintroducing them because people have destroyed their habitat!
hi, i voted no, but the yes people are still ahead, ill advertise this on my page and others ok
im sorry but people have their own opions, shooting pheasents and other animals, some people think its fine, some people hate it, and other dont really mind, but thats fine, but theres more import situations to care about like global warming, and poverty, so protest doesn't anything?
175 people have joined the Ban Hare Coursing band.
I think that says it all really.
Phil. Try Lamping for a job.
There is nothing like setting a few snares in the morning going fox hunting through the day and finishing the day off with a bit of fox lamping,
conservation at its best.
Donna. I see the frustration of Anti-bloodsports people to pro bloodsports attitudes all the time. It has been the attitude of ICABS for years that it should follow that someone who cares about animals should care about his/her fellow man Educating rather than suggesting shooting is not the answer. Some you cant educate but shooting anything is not what ICABS is about. . Lol. I know you didnt literally mean it.
Did you listen to the Joe Duffy show on Monday? I never listen to it but I was on a bus. It was about the Galway Blazers?? They're a disgrace. And that woman from Cork who said ''hunting is a great country sport'' deserves to be shot. Hunting is a terrible and cruel sport, I'm delighted to have found your page. Keep up the good work!
Hey there, just a reminder that we will be in the UCD freshers tent this Monday to Friday so don't forget to pop down to our stand to join up for another fun action packed year and do your bit to make UCD a greener campus ! This years campaign will focus on getting more bike routes and parking spaces for UCD. Come to the stand to find out more!!
Nice page ICABS, John has been telling me about all the great work you are doing and i think he's right i can see you're doing just that. Keep up the good work and maybe we'll meet up at the big rally in october.
Keep up the good work guys, need any help at all just ask.