Yesterday, October 29, the Parliament of Catalunya registered a proposed bill to abolish circuses with animals within the Autonomous Region.
This is at the initiative of the animal liberation group LIBERA! via their campaign Catalunya Libre de Animales en Circos (CLAC). (Catalunya Animal Circus-Free)
Catalunya Lliure d’Animals en Circs (in Catalan).
These are the parliamentary groups which supported the campaign:
ERC: Republican Left of Catalunya
CiU: Catalan Nationalists
ICV-Els Verds: Catalan Greens
PSC-PSOE: Socialists and Catalan Socialists
CUP: Popular Unity
This initiative responds to the pre-election promise on 21 November last, in which the parties agreed to incorporate through legislation a new article in the Catalan animal protection law which would prohibit circuses with animals over the whole of Catalunya.
Plenary voting will take place February/ March 2014. It is expected that more than 80% of the Catalan Parliament is in favour of the abolition of the use of animals in circuses. The only parties which would not support it are PP (Popular Party) and Ciutadans ( a non-nationalist Catalan Party).
Animal campaigners have been working on this campaign since 2009. Thanks to the efforts of all activists, there are currently 99 Catalan towns where these circuses are not allowed to operate.
It is a matter for celebration that the Catalan Parliament should once again be leaders in defending the rights of animals, reflecting the heightened awareness of the Catalan people in this sphere.
This news was covered very widely in Spain and beyond. Here’s an English link:
~ Thanks to Samuel Leal at Libera! for permission to reprint this news. (translation by Marian)