Last Sunday, June 22, an AnimaNaturalis team visited Sant Jaume d’Enveja (Tarragona, Catalonia) to document the municipality's bull festivals. What began as an observation mission to denounce animal abuse ended with physical assaults, death threats, and violent expulsion from the arena by event attendees.
Cameras captured a heifer trapped in the holding pen for "toro embolado" – an exceptionally cruel practice where fireballs are attached to the animal's horns. Rather than aiding the distressed animal, spectators began beating it with sticks and applying electric shocks to force it out. Meanwhile, other participants attempted to block the scene using Catalan flags, bullfighting capes, cushions, chairs, and even a table, forming a barrier to prevent photojournalists and activists from recording.
"They were desperate to prevent the country from seeing what happens at these festivals," states Aïda Gascón, Director of AnimaNaturalis, who was present. "They insulted us, threw stones and bottles, and police had to escort us out while they screamed death threats. This isn't isolated – it reflects a system that believes itself above the law," she adds.
From carts surrounding the square, individuals began harassing activists and throwing objects while others cheered on the aggressors. Tension escalated to the point where festival organizers intervened to prevent worse violence. Nevertheless, hostilities continued. Ultimately, four officers from the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan regional police) and Local Police escorted Aïda Gascón and two photographers to safety.
AnimaNaturalis, in collaboration with CAS International, has spent years documenting Spanish bull festivals to expose animal suffering and regulatory violations.
"We rarely leave empty-handed," states Gascón, with over twenty years' experience. "80% of events we witness involve some abuse: exhausted, injured, or overstrained animals. 'Toro embolado' shows constant complications endangering both animals and spectators. It's an outrage on every level."
This latest violence in Sant Jaume d’Enveja underscores the urgent need for comprehensive regulatory reform and effective oversight mechanisms. Peaceful documentation of suppressed realities cannot be allowed to carry such risks.
AnimaNaturalis and CAS International stress that this incident highlights the critical requirement for enhanced supervision and legislative changes to protect both animals and individuals who lawfully seek transparency about these events.
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