French Court Rules Bullfighting Is Not a Sport in Historic Decision
For Immediate Release:
June 9, 2026
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
In a groundbreaking decision, a French criminal court today ruled that bullfighting cannot be legally classified as a sport—a victory for animal advocates that emerged from a case against French influencer Jeremstar and four PETA supporters who protested bullfighting at the Nîmes arena during the Feria des Vendanges (the city’s major bullfighting event) in September 2025. Photos of Jeremstar and the large anti-bullfighting demonstration in front of the court are available here and a video is available here.
The defendants were charged with disrupting a sporting event after Jeremstar jumped into the bullring with a sign denouncing the cruel practice, as a bull lay dying after being repeatedly stabbed. Their defense successfully argued that the offense could not be applied since bullfighting is not legally recognized as a sport. The judge agreed, ruling that the Nîmes arena cannot be considered a sporting venue during bullfights—and acquitting all five defendants.
The court’s ruling, which could pave the way for similar cases worldwide, follows a wave of recent bullfighting bans, including in Colombia, six Mexican states, and Mexico City. Even in Spain, infamous for the Pamplona bullfighting festival, 7 out of 10 people now reject bullfighting.
“This court has confirmed what animal advocates have known all along: There’s nothing sporting about tormenting and killing a terrified animal for entertainment,” says PETA France Executive Agent Mimi Bekhechi. “PETA urges everyone to reject these deadly spectacles and never attend a bullfight in France or anywhere else.”
The action mobilized the public and sparked a national debate on the future of bullfighting in France. During the trial on April 2nd and again today for the verdict, hundreds of people gathered outside the courthouse, chanting “Basta corrida!” (Stop bullfights!), representing the majority of the French population who want this cruel practice abolished.
In nature, bulls are calm, social individuals who love and protect their families. During a bullfight, men chase a terrified bull, attack him with lances and banderillas, and weaken him until he is exhausted and has suffered significant blood loss, before a matador stabs him to death with a sword. Several attempts are sometimes necessary, and some animals are paralyzed but still conscious when they are dragged out of the arena. Their ears or tails are sometimes cut off to be displayed as trophies.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and fear, a bull is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
