Bullfighting book protest
ANIMAL rights activists staged a noisy protest, but failed to halt a bullfighter's book signing.
Frank "El Ingles" Evans was at Nantwich Book Shop to sign copies of his autobiography, The Last British Bullfighter.
Steve Lawson, shop owner, decided to press ahead with Saturday's event, despite protesters, who claim the book glamorises animal cruelty, threatening a demonstration.
The result was the most popular signing he has held.
About 15 activists turned up for the protest, holding banners and placards and shouting their views at shoppers.
Protester Maggie Harrison, aged 60, from Crewe, said: "I'm totally against bullfighting. As far as I know it is illegal in this country, so I don't think the shop should be promoting it.
"Bullfighting is extremely barbaric and just basically cruelty to animals."
Merseyside Animals Rights Group member Steve Morley, aged 53, from Huyton, Liverpool, said: "Bullfighting is immoral and barbaric and if you tried to do it in this country you'd be thrown in jail."
Shop staff said more than 60 people asked for their copies of The Last British Bullfighter to be signed by Mr Evans.
And Mr Lawson said the support vindicated his decision to hold the event.
He said: "I think this has changed into a freedom of speech issue. You can't tell people what to think, or what they can and can't read.
"This has actually been the most popular signing event we've had.
"Personally, I wouldn't go to watch bullfighting, but I wouldn't stop anyone else doing it. I've been selling this book for six weeks now and this is the first protest I've seen.
"People have asked me whether I'd stock a book by a paedophile. I don't think people would want to buy such a book, but if someone like Gary Glitter wrote an autobiography, I'd have to consider it."
Mr Evans, from Salford, recently returned to the Spanish bullring despite having undergone a quadruple heart bypass and knee surgery.
While the 67-year-old had no problem with the protesters, he insisted their arguments were not based on facts.
He said: "If they actually went to a bullfight and saw what happens, they would be better informed. The book isn't really about bullfighting anyway, it's about my own journey."
Waterstone's cancelled signings in Manchester and Liverpool after it was lobbied by animal rights group PETA.
The author was brought into Nantwich Book Shop through its backdoor, to avoid the protesters, but chose to leave through the front entrance.
Mr Evans said: "Waterstone's told me its staff were threatened, so I think the decision was justified."
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by Martin Bradley, Brentwood
Tuesday, September 22 2009, 8:18PM
“Shoveling the muck heap today I think I have come across a small piece of Frank Evans' brain. Is there a postal address for him?”
by carolyn.rockey@ntlworld.com, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Tuesday, September 22 2009, 1:57PM
“Once again we have the glorification of animal cruelty in the name of 'sport'. The Spanish Interior Ministry reported that in 2008 13,349 bulls were killed in over 3,200 bullfights and bullfighting festivals, the equivalent of 36 bulls per day. What a pity that people can't find a better way to pass their time than by watching pain and suffering being inflicted on a magnificent animal. It is not a quick death - it is slow and sickening. It is pure cruelty and it has to stop. Frank Evans is a disgrace to humanity; I don't know how he sleeps at night.”
by D, Meir
Tuesday, September 22 2009, 8:58AM
“The problem is....animals DO NOT know they are causing pain. We as humans should know better! A cat doesn't know that it is hurting a mouse or a bird..it's just a game and then they eat it. It's their natural instinct. "Humans" should know better, we know that other animals feel pain yet we torture and kill them for either sport or just because we can! This is where we differ from animals...we know full well we inflict pain on these creatures yet we continue to do it. THAT is what is wrong!”
by Rustinho, Silverdale
Tuesday, September 22 2009, 6:27AM
“Anon, Mow Cop - a lovely quote, I'm sure, but totally untrue.
There are studies which show chimpanzees kill for pleasure, in a manner similar to a sociopathic human being. And have you ever watched a cat killing a mouse or a bird?
Also, I believe Oscar Wilde spoke of "the unspeakable in persuit of the inedible" to be precise. Not exactly relevant to bull fighting though 'cos I love a burger now & again. :)
To quote the great philosopher Homer (Simpson) +"D'oh!"+”
by Andrew, Newcastle
Monday, September 21 2009, 9:36PM
“John - just one question....
Why are you so sure the activists don't also spend time trying to improve things for their own 'needy species'? In my experience, the people most outraged by animal cruelty are also the very people who want to improve things for human beings.
What do YOU do to help your 'needy species'?
Anon, Mow Cop: I really wish you'd do your homework. Killer whales toy with seals for their own entertainment, cats torture rodents and chimpanzees make sport of chasing down and destroying monkeys.
Toying with, and torturing weaker animals is NOT unique to humans but anyone who thinks its acceptable should be utterly ashamed of themselves since they're essentially admitting they're primitive creatures (surely there's no other excuse?)
Emma - that's one of the most sensible, well-argued things I've ever seen on the Sentinel website.”
by Anon, Mow Cop
Monday, September 21 2009, 8:06PM
“"Humans are the only animal life who kill for pleasure" Ernest Hemingway, and to quote Oscar Wilde on fox-hunting "The un-eatable chased by the un-speakable".”
by Emma, Stoke-on-Trent
Monday, September 21 2009, 7:55PM
“John, I agree that humans are a needy species. This is why some humans feel the need to elevate their sense of importance by 'battling' with a strong animal for audience appreciation. Trouble is, there is a team of people to fight one such beast, not to even mention the fact that it enters the arena handicapped from the outset so that it can never win. A true battle of braun and skill of man and beast would leave the matador alone with no-one tampering with the animal's sight or horns to affect it's balance beforehand, or anyone spearing it to damage and weaken it before the matador has his 'hero's' moment.
Whether or not animals are below man in the food chain is irrelevant. Animals are sentient beings. They have a central nervous system which dictates that they feel pain and therefore there is no doubt that bullfighting leaves the bulls (and picador's horses) in pain.If man is indeed king, why can he not demonstrate compassion?”
by D, Meir
Monday, September 21 2009, 3:50PM
“So if someone was to torture and kill your cat/dog that would be ok as...."animals are animals and man is king" as you so disgustingly put it?
I doubt it....and little does everyone know but everything you use on a daily basis that has any sort of chemical is actually tested on animals such as monkeys, cats and your beloved dogs. Nail polish poured down rabbits throats, dog food tested on starving dogs who are then tortured by operations performed on them to remove parts of their intestines...while they are AWAKE. Pigs burned alive with blow torches just to see what burn treatments will do to heal the wounds....chocolate companies feed cocoa to mice in huge quantities then expect them to swim out of vats of paint onto a platform or drown....if they survive they will be gassed.
Animals are Animals but at what cost? Should we torture animals we consider pets just so we can wear the latest shade of nail polish?”
by D, Meir
Monday, September 21 2009, 3:47PM
“So if someone was to torture and kill your cat/dog that would be ok as...."animals are animals and man is king" as you so disgustingly put it?
I doubt it....and little does everyone know but everything you use on a daily basis that has any sort of chemical is actually tested on animals such as monkeys, cats and your beloved dogs. Nail polish poured down rabbits throats, dog food tested on starving dogs who are then tortured by operations performed on them to remove parts of their intestines...while they are AWAKE. Pigs burned alive with blow torches just to see what burn treatments will do to heal the wounds....mars feed cocoa to mice in huge quantities then expect them to swim out of vats of paint onto a platform or drown....if they survive they will be gassed. Animals are
Animals but at what cost? Should we torture animals we consider pets just so we can wear the latest shade of nail polish?”
by John, Chesterton
Monday, September 21 2009, 3:37PM
“Andrew
Animals are animals
Man is king
Activists like these should (in my opinion) make better use of their spare time and help their
own needy species”