Pressure group alerts: Palma bullring ‘at risk of collapsing’

MALLORCA Sense Sang, the pressure group against bullfighting in the Island, has denounced the poor maintenance and dangerous condition of the Palma bullring.
In a statement, the organisation has requested that the council immediately stop all events held in the facilities to avoid potential tragedies.
Mallorca Sense Sang, together with animal rights association Assaib, have detailed numerous dangers at the facilities, such as cracks across the stands and emergency exists, broken and rotten safety structures, broken steps and seats at risk of collapsing.
They said that back in 2013 Assaib filed an official report on the state of the bullring, but to no avail. ARCA, an association for heritage preservation has also spoken out over the building’s complete state of disrepair, the fault of the owners, they claimed.
Spokesperson for Mallorca Sense Sang, Guillermo Amengual, urged the council to comply with municipal regulations, which establish that failing to satisfy preservation and maintenance of properties could result in a partial or total suspension of permission to hold events in the bullring.
“The state of the bullring is embarrassing and represents a hazard for the thousands of citizens who attend events such as concerts in the summer season, as the place is at a high risk of collapsing,” said Mr Amengual. “We have been raising the issue for years, we only hope not to have to face victims due to a lack of care of the owners.”
The Mallorca Sense Sang campaign, made up by animal rights associations AnimaNaturalis and CAS International to make Mallorca a bullfighting-free Island, has already gathered 126,000 people’s signatures and 17 municipalities have forbidden the practice in their area.