Old Spanish festival ends without gore, but bull still dies

By MANUEL FERNÁNDEZ
Associated Press

TORDESILLAS, Spain (AP) — Hundreds of people have taken part in a centuries-old Spanish bull-chasing festival, but under orders once again that the animal — which is eventually killed in any case — should not be harmed with spears or darts. The Toro de La Vega festival in the town of Tordesillas traditionally saw the bull speared to death by revelers who chased it to outlying fields on horseback and on foot. Animal rights protests over the years led to changes and in 2016 it was prohibited to kill the animal in public during the festival. After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the town tried to allow darts to be thrown at the bull this year but the government and animal rights activists intervened.