Four animal rights activists were arrested in Rome on Sunday after blocking a car carrying Pope Francis. They shouted, “Bullfighting is a sin,” according to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
In video footage shared by PETA, three women were seen jumping over a barricade and kneeling in the car’s path. They held signs with the same message. Security forces quickly removed them, while another protester behind the barricade held a similar sign in Spanish.
The incident happened as Pope Francis, 87, was traveling to the Spanish Steps in Rome. He was on his way to bless a statue of the Virgin Mary during the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception.
PETA released a statement explaining that the demonstration was part of a campaign asking the Pope to break the Catholic Church’s ties to bullfighting and condemn the practice.
Mimi Bekhechi, PETA’s vice president for Europe, criticized the Church’s support for bullfighting, calling it “a disgrace.” She said, “PETA calls on Pope Francis to denounce these shameful spectacles and make it clear that no person of good will can support bullfighting.”
According to PETA, bullfights are often held in honor of Catholic saints, including the Virgin Mary. During these events, priests sometimes perform religious rites. The organization also highlighted Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si, where he stated that mistreating animals goes against human dignity.
Bullfighting is practiced in Spain, France, Portugal, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, and Ecuador. Colombia recently banned the practice in May, while a proposal to stop children under 16 from attending bullfights in France failed to pass last month.
This isn’t the first time activists have protested against bullfighting in front of the Pope. In September, protesters disrupted his visit to Luxembourg, and earlier this year, activists interrupted a church service in Rome.
