Organization of bullfights near Montpellier: the town of Pérols rejected by the administrative court

Lors d’une opération récente sur la place de la Comédie à Montpellier midi libre – jean-Michel Mart

The town of Pérols had decided to organize a bullfight in July 2023. But the municipality's deliberation, attacked by the Radically Anti-Bullfighting Committee and the Anti-Bullfighting Alliance, was deemed illegal by the administrative court. The court considers that the bullfighting tradition did not benefit from an "uninterrupted" during the last years.

The municipality of Pérols is not justified in organizing bullfights on its territory. The administrative court of Montpellier confirmed, in a judgment rendered this Tuesday, June 4, the conclusions of its public rapporteur who had requested the cancellation of a deliberation of the municipality authorizing the organization of ;rsquo;a bullfight in its arenas, on July 15, 2023. The same municipal decision had already been the subject of a suspension by the summary judge in May 2023 and the bullfighting show did not take place.

No racing for twenty years

The judgment on the merits considers that the municipality has not provided proof that this bullfighting tradition had benefited from continuous practice over the years. "If bullfighting events take place during the summer festivities, notably in 2022 for the hundred years of the bullfighting club, they do not have an uninterrupted character and, moreover, these events are not ongoing. have for around twenty years, never been involved in novillada or bullfight type bull races with or without killings"write the judges. This absence of races for twenty years was one of the arguments put forward by the two organizations at the origin of this appeal, the Anti-bullfighting Alliance and the radically anti-bullfighting committee (Crac) Europe.

No tradition in a local area

The administrative court adds that the commune of Pérols cannot boast of benefiting from a local tradition established around a coherent demographic perimeter. &quot ;The documents produced mainly concern the commune of Pérols which limits itself to alleging that it is located at the gates of the Camargue, to producing posters of bullfights organized in Mauguio and Lunel in 2023" observe the judges.

This point was noted with satisfaction by Crac-Europe. "Now, it seems that the law is turning towards a reading more consistent with the spirit of the text by enshrining the notion of locality – or even an urban community – like the provisions governing cockfights" comments the association in its press release.

The municipality has two months to possibly appeal the judgment. She will also have to pay 1 500 € to each of the two applicant associations.