In a motion “for the end of shows with animal suffering”, presented by BE councillor Manuel Grilo, it is mentioned that the Lisbon Chamber urges “the Government and the Assembly of the Republic to adopt legislation that does not allow public funding of events that cause animal suffering”.

This point of the motion was approved with the favourable votes of BE, PS and PSD and the votes against by PCP and CDS-PP.

The second point of the motion that advocated the implementation of measures for the conversion of spaces where these events usually take place in multifunctional spaces, with the capacity to host cultural and sports shows or “others that do not involve animal suffering”, was rejected, having only favourable votes from BE and councillor Paula Marques (Citizens for Lisbon, elected on the PS lists).

In the text, it is recalled that, although the “animal protection” law provides that “all unjustified violence against animals is prohibited, considering such acts consistent with, without need, inflicting death, cruel and prolonged suffering or serious injury to an animal ”, the same legislation considers “bullfighting lawful ”.

Recently, it is also read in the text, about 1,800 members of the bullfighting sector wrote an open letter to the Minister of Culture requesting the reduction of VAT from 23 percent to 6 percent, claiming that this activity “is part of the Portuguese DNA”, “something that is obviously questionable in view of the numbers of spectators of this type of spectacles, especially evident in the case of the city of Lisbon”.

“With the Covid-19 pandemic, all bullfighting events were suspended, with the sector demanding the urgent return of these types of events to guarantee their existance, knowing that the subsistence of this sector is guaranteed through direct and indirect public financing, which is incomprehensible”, said the text.

In the motion, it is argued that "the public purse should not constitute itself as a source of financing for activities that do not comply with international guidelines and national legislation, with the aggravation of these activities constituting an alleged source of entertainment and profit generator".

The document mentions a survey by the Catholic University, carried out two years ago in the municipality of Lisbon, in which 75% of respondents said they were against the use of public money to finance or support bullfighting and 64% said they did not agree with the support of the municipality bullfighting in Campo Pequeno.

“Bullfighting should not be part of the new normal. This is a great time to safeguard animal welfare, ”Manuel Grilo told Lusa, arguing that“ public money, which is so lacking in this delicate moment of a pandemic, should not be a source of funding for activities that do not comply with international guidelines as animal welfare ”.