Ahead of his upcoming shows in Spain, Morrissey has called on the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez to ban bullfighting in the country.
Partnering with PETA, the former Smiths singer requested this in a direct letter to Mr Sanchez, saying that the practice continues to tarnish Spain's global reputation, calling on the Prime Minister to put an end to what he has described as barbarism.
This letter also coincides with a fresh political push in Spain, which has seen 52 Members of Parliament reintroduce “No Es Mi Cultura” (“It’s Not My Culture”) citizens’ legislative initiative before Congress.
The initiative, which is aimed at stripping bullfighting of its protected cultural heritage status following a failed vote last year, saw Sanchez's party abstain. It has been supported by extensive public backing, and represents the most signed citizens initiative in Spain over the last decade.
Morrissey has backed this campaign ahead of his shows in Spain, which has seen him perform in Madrid yesterday (July 25), and Barcelona on July 29. By doing this around the time of his shows, Morrissey hopes to push towards a definitive vote against the practice of bullfighting.
As support from members of the public continues to grow, as well as activists and fans, everyone will be watching closely to see whether the Spanish Government will act to remove the protected status from bullfighting in their country.
PETA work to highlight the bloodthirsty nature of bullfighting, stating that bulls suffer significant blood loss from banderillas and lances from matadors who attempt the final kill. They have also mentioned that the bulls are often still conscious when they are dragged from the arena, stating the core principle that animals are not for entertainment purposes.
Prior to this, Morrissey had released the track, 'The Bullfighter Dies', and has campaigned along with PETA to ask Pope Francis to call out the call bullfighting, despite the practice being blessed by the church. He has emphasised that animal suffering should never be defended by a heritage.
The letter also saw the singer state that a terrified animal dying in an arena after being stabbed cannot be excused under any circumstances.
Back in January, Morrissey confirmed the release of his first album in five years with Make-Up Is A Lie. More on this from Nova here.
