On Saturday August 31st, another tragic incident took place in Javea during the ‘bous a la mar’ festivities, where one of the bulls died after falling into the water.
According to eyewitnesses, the animal, which was chasing fans near the dock, ended up falling into the sea, as is common at this type of event. However, on this occasion, the bull had difficulty staying afloat from the very beginning.
The rescue team, on board a boat, quickly arrived at the scene and tried to hold the bull, managing to get its snout out of the water and move it to the exit ramp. However, although the animal managed to get out of the water on its own, witnesses say that it barely took a few steps before collapsing. The rancher present at the scene tried to revive it without success, and finally the bull died.
The Dénia Animal Save group has announced a new demonstration in Javea against the celebration of ‘Bous a la Mar’. An event that they consider cruel and anachronistic.
The protest will take place on September 1 at 18:00 p.m., starting from 25 C/Casetes, in the area of the promenade of La Grava beach.
This bull event, which stems from of a platform open to the waterfront, forces bulls and cows to run after the fans until they fall into the sea. Once in the water, the animals are towed to the port using ropes tied to their heads, in a process that protesters describe as extremely painful and stressful for the animals.
Rosa Más, biologist and animal liberation activist, declared: “The heifers and bulls subjected to these acts do not know how to swim and their suffering is evident. Tail pulling, harassment, and a hostile environment are just some of the ways these animals suffer. “We ask the Javea City Council to eliminate these cruel events and join the 21st century in animal protection.”
The group has also pointed out that the participation of minors in these events violates law 26/2018 of the Generalitat Valenciana, which prohibits the exposure of children to the violence of bullfighting.
Furthermore, they mention that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has urged the Spanish State to protect minors from bullfighting, without effective measures having been taken in this regard.
Dénia Animal Save also highlights the problems related to alcohol consumption, insecurity and damage to street furniture during these events, also questioning whether public health should cover the costs of accidents derived from a practice that they consider personal recklessness.
The group has been active in various protests, including a recent one in Alfafar against bullfighting. In Dénia, they managed to reduce the number of ‘Bous a la Mar’ by half, but they continue to fight for the total abolition of these celebrations.
Diego Nevado, press collaborator for Dénia Animal Save, commented: “It is shameful that the City Council continues to allow these events, which not only cause animal suffering but also damage the image of the town. Many tourists have told us that they will not return to Jávea for this reason.
During the demonstration, signatures will also be collected for the national initiative noesmícola.org, which seeks to unprotect bullfighting as cultural heritage. Dénia Animal Save invites everyone to participate in the demonstration and sign the petition.
The group assures that they have proposals to replace these celebrations with activities that represent and please everyone without the need to use animals.
