Campaigners gave out leaflets at a performance of opera Carmen on the 1st December 2008 in Cambridge after learning that the stage was going to be mocked up as a bull ring. “We have nothing against the opera as such but find the stunt and marketing ‘insensitive’, it trivialises the cruelty of bull fighting”.

“Bulls are deliberately weakened before a performance, they add laxatives in their food and sandbags on their back. They drug them. They insert lances into their back and neck muscles. Then they taunt them and kill them.” Says a Animal Rights Cambridge spokesperson. “It’s no sport, it’s animal cruelty”.

The campaigners say that they think the opera will be pulling similar stunts in other cities and expect that it will meet with similar opposition. “We hope the organisers of this performance will think about the kind of message they are sending out, it is no longer acceptable to trivialise animal cruelty.”


 Bull Fighting Factsheet:
 http://www.peta.org/MC/factsheet_display.asp?ID=64

 Carmen Corn Exchange Promotion:
 http://www.cornex.co.uk/ccm/cornex/2008/carmen.en;jsessionid=F87D762F9B8097495DE300CAE21C7573

 The Carmen Website
 http://www.ellenkent.com/live/carmen/