Civil organizations and professionals from the circus sector are holding protests against the use of animals and denouncing an “ethical setback” following the controversial authorization granted by the Valencia City Council for the return of fauna to the show.
The city of Valencia has become the epicenter of an intense social debate following the municipal council’s decision to endorse the presence of fauna in the Circ de Nadal.
This administrative resolution has triggered a series of protests against the use of animals in the Circ de Nadal of Valencia, led by entities such as AnimaNaturalis, Valencia Animal Save, and FAADA, who believe that the granted permit contradicts legislative advances in animal protection and represents a stagnation in the modernization of public shows.
The conflict escalated after confirmation that the City Council, under the current management, facilitated the necessary permits for the tent—now located in the vicinity of the Levante UD avenue after a relocation due to soil incompatibility—to include various species in its performances.
Although the current national regulations prohibit the use of wild animals in circuses, the technical controversy lies in the classification of the specimens used.
According to the complainants, the show uses dromedaries, llamas, horses, Highland cattle, and watusis, among others, under the argument of being “domestic” animals or belonging to itinerant zoological nuclei, an interpretation that activists label as a fraud of law.
Legal friction and allegations of mistreatment From the animal rights front, it is argued that the use of these species violates the spirit of the Animal Welfare Law 7/2023.
Protest against the use of animals in shows
The organizations emphasize that, regardless of whether they were born in captivity, these species do not lose their status as wild fauna and suffer chronic stress due to itinerancy and confinement in reduced spaces.
During the recent mobilizations at the venue’s gates, spokespersons for the convening entities have warned about the use of coercive instruments, such as whips, and have reported visible signs of mistreatment in some specimens.
For their part, the modern circus sector has also joined the complaints. Professionals from the circus arts in the Comunitat Valenciana advocate for a model based solely on human talent and creativity, lamenting that the return of animals tarnishes the image of an industry that sought ethical vanguard.
They also criticize that an event of these characteristics allegedly receives promotion or indirect support through public subsidies, which they consider an affront to companies that have voluntarily renounced animal exploitation.
Educational impact and continuity of actions One of the pillars of the citizen mobilization is the message that this type of exhibition conveys to children.
The protesters argue that normalizing the deprivation of liberty of sentient beings for entertainment purposes is pedagogically harmful.
Rosa Más, a biologist and activist present at the gatherings, emphasized the need to move towards a Valencia “free of animal mistreatment“, urging the population to boycott these shows and opt for responsible leisure alternatives.
Despite the fact that the Circ de Nadal has already started its performances after overcoming various administrative and technical delays, the animal defense groups have announced that they will not cease their actions.
New gatherings are planned, and a dialogue path with the institutions is set to begin to demand that future licenses be denied and that the prohibition of wild fauna be strictly enforced, thus closing the door to interpretations that allow their presence on Valencian stages.
