Activists stoned during animal cruelty protest

A YOUNG animal rights activist had to be taken to hospital after being pelted with stones by pro-bullfighting spectators.

The activists were protesting against the annual Toro de la Vega event which is celebrated in an area of the Valladolid region called Tordesillas.

According to Luis Moreno, the vice president of animal rights group Partido Animalista (PACMA), the young woman was left unconscious after being injured by a volley of stones aimed at the activists.

He went on to say that many more could have been injured, although the extent of their injuries could not be confirmed.  

Outbreaks of violence occurred in the run-up to the Toro de la Vega event. Around 100 protestors formed a human chain in an attempt to stop the animal being released into the area designated for the killing.

Guardia Civil officers began to forcibly remove the activists one by one, who were shouting slogans including “Torture is not culture” and “We’re here and we are not killing.”

Those in favour of the event shouted replies back, and it was as the protestors were being dispersed that a number of stones were thrown.

The Toro de la Vega dates back 500 years and involves around 50 participants pursuing the bull in open countryside.

The hunters, some on horseback and others on foot, are armed with lances, with which they attempt to stab and kill the bull.

If the bull manages to escape from the designated area, its life is spared, but this has only happened twice in the last 20 years.