Torture and killing of bulls in Spanish villages unabated despite last week's bullfighting ban

Activists from the organisation Animal Equality have filmed the traditional "becerradas", small village festivals where young bulls and calves are mercilessly taunted, hit, speared and finally killed by locals for the amusement of the town.

In contrast to last week's bullfight ban in Catalonia, every year around 40,000 bulls, including young calves, are tortured and killed across Spain for entertainment, many in small village festivals.

The images show the suffering and deaths of young bulls in the "becerradas". Animals of just one or two years old are tortured with a number of implements including harpoon-tipped spikes known as "banderillas", swords, and knives. The bulls can be seen gasping for breath as the blood gushes out of their wounds. Local youths incessantly attack the bulls until they collapse, and ears are cut off the young animals while they are still fully conscious. The bulls' ears are then handed to watching young children as trophies. Some animals are even still conscious as they are dragged from the ring.

The local festival visited by Animal Equality on Sunday 1 August is known as ""Viudos, Solteros y Casados" (Widows, Unmarrieds and Marrieds), in the town of El Escorial just outside Madrid.

This festival kills four young bulls each year of between one and two years old.

Animal Equality wanted to record these images to make society aware of the enormous injustice that animals suffer from and to keep the current debate alive surrounding bullfighting. Above all we want to draw the public's attention to the fact that these bull killings are just one example of the widespread, institutionalised exploitation and slavery that we submit animals to in general, not just in bullrings but also on farms, in slaughterhouses, zoos, circuses and laboratories. Stop participating. Go vegan.