Two demonstrations for the same subject, and two radically opposed points of view. Saturday, November 19, pro and anti bullfights organized rallies in the city of Nîmes. Aficionados, supported by a very large majority of local elected officials from all political stripes (ranging from the Communist Party to the National Rally), gathered in the morning nearly 400 people in front of the Gard prefecture.
The defenders of bullfighting traditions gathered in a serious, almost solemn atmosphere, with the undisguised hope of defeating the bill of deputy Aymeric Caron. On Wednesday, November 16, the law commission of the National Assembly rejected the bill aimed at banning bullfighting in France. In the aftermath, on Friday, a “citizen appeal to deputies against the ban on bullfighting” was made public, signed by 1,400 people, including many personalities like Agnès Jaoui, Denis Podalydes, Sophie Calle, Pierre Bordage, Rudy Ricciotti, Jean Nouvel or Bartabas.
Two ferias take place each year in Nîmes, at Pentecost and in September. Bullfighting represents “60 million euros in economic benefits for the city” assures Frédéric Pastor, the assistant to the festivities in the team of mayor Jean-Paul Fournier (Les Républicains). “For two weekends, the hotels are full for 100 km around, the restaurants and bars are full, the shops are working…”. In 2022, bullfighting shows (bullfights and Camargue races) attracted more than 95,000 spectators to Roman arenas, including 83,000 for bullfights alone, a figure that has almost returned to its pre-pandemic level, according to the town hall of Nîmes. .
“It is freedom of thought that is at stake”
Even out of temporada (bullfighting season), the passion is shared. The coordination of the bullfighting clubs of Nîmes, which brings together 27 clubs and represents more than 1,500 people, organizes a « bull coffee ». The bullfighting clubs offer outings to see the “toros” in one of the eight ganaderias, these breedings of Spanish fighting bulls, that counts the department. “In general, bullfighting is presented as something that comes to an end, even though it is extremely dynamic! », advance Eric Dumond, head of the Les Amis de Toros club.
In his family, the passion is transmitted from generation to generation. This Saturday, his two grandsons came with a capea (bullfighting cape) in their hands. “Our rally goes far beyond the simple defense of bullfighting, believes Mr. Dumond. It is the freedom of thought that is at stake. Bullfighting is a question of sensitivity. Will the state define what is right or wrong to think for us? If yes, then the question will arise for a bunch of topics. »
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