The people of Fomalutx are stubbornly defending the village's annual "correbou" bull-run. The village is at the forefront of opposition to the regional government's proposed animal-protection law amendment, one that may affect other fiestas in which animals feature, and so not just bulls.
On Sunday there is to be a large demonstration in the main village square. Attended by various groups as well as by residents, it will signal the opposition to the amended law.
The mayor, Antoni Aguiló, is critical of what he sees as the "total lack of dialogue" on behalf of the government. "It hasn't wished to take into consideration either our arguments for maintaining the fiesta or the feelings of the whole village." He would like to trust, though, that there will be dialogue during the parliamentary processing of the amendment and of acceptance of proposals from his party, the PP, and from Ciudadanos and El Pi. Despite saying that there has been a lack of dialogue, he adds that there has been a private conversation with President Armengol, who has said that the Fornalutx point of view will be listened to.
Aguiló also hopes that before any law is approved, note will be taken of the "unconstitutionality" of the Catalonian ban on bullfighting. He also observes: "There, interestingly, they have not banned bull-runs only bullfights." He insists that the argument that the bull being led by ropes causes stress to the animal does not stand up if the same principle is not also applied to horses in Minorca. He suggests that the Minorca fiestas will be unaffected by the law, though it has been widely said that they will be.
The demonstration, he says, is an initiative of the local cultural association and will have the support of leading PP figures, such as the Congress deputy, Mateo Isern.