14 DAY TRIAL // The city of Tlacotalpan, in Mexico, was on Sunday the scene of a chaotic bull-run, as part of a week of religious manifestations, which is celebrated nationwide every year. But, as opposed to the Spanish version of the run, where a pack of bulls is only released on closely-confined streets, and then rounded up pretty fast, in the small villages that keep the tradition alive in Mexico the set-up is a bit different. Ten massive, half-a-ton bulls are first made angry, and then set loose on the streets, where they rampage for almost the whole day, bringing about havoc in street businesses, and stumbling over innocent bystanders, who are not fast enough to get out of their way.
In Tlacotalpan, the people who willingly participate in this tournament of sorts take things to extreme. They taunt the bulls for hours, pinching them and pulling their Tails or legs, or even throwing plastic bottles and lighters at them. Some get burnt with cigarettes, while others get the tips of their ears cut. This torment lasts for the better part of a whole day, after which time the animals are rounded up by horsemen, and taken to their pastures.
During this period, the crowd cheers, lights fire crackers, and drinks extensively. It's easy to see that this is a recipe for disaster, as the crackers scare the bulls, which become even more dangerous, while the drinks make the people fell more sure of themselves. This drives them into attempting dangerous stunts, which might end up in their being severely injured, or even killed.
Although this inhuman practice is condemned worldwide, thousands of visitors show up in the Mexican towns that keep the tradition alive every year. They watch with satisfaction how the animals are tormented, and some even come yearly to get their “dose” of cruelty. Needles to say, animal rights groups have been constantly militating for the abolition of this so-called event, but even the authorities seem to be powerless in stopping it.
In the eyes of everyone who knows at least a little bit about the original sport, the manifestation in Mexico has nothing in common with a fiesta anymore. Rather, it has become a crude and savage way of entertainment, in which animals are tortured for the benefit of the crowd, unlike the Spanish version of the game, where the people only run from the bulls and do not attempt to harm them.
When the governor of the state of Veracruz once sought to rule the manifestation outside the law, an angry mob, made up of most men and women in Tlacotalpan, seized the offices of the local government in their town, and occupied them for a full day, before finally returning to their homes.