Spanish protesters flooded onto the streets of Madrid to rail against the centuries-old spectacle in which matadors often slaughter bulls in front of public audiences, including children. Thousands protested against the practice on Saturday - denouncing the national tradition as "a national shame". The astonishing numbers on the streets were the clearest sign yet that the movement to end the blood sport was gaining momentum. Many of those at the rally believe the record-breaking march has put the final nail in the coffin of the violent spectator pastime.

GETTY; IG Thousands of Spaniards took to the streets of Madrid to protest bullfighting

A routine bull fight, which take place at nearly 2,000 Spanish summer festivals, can end with the cruel and drawn-out death of the poor animal. On other occasions, the bull, often riled up beforehand, can be badly injured and left bleeding. Chelo Martin Pozo, a 39-year-old from Seville who travelled for the rally, said: "Bulls feel and they suffer. "Bullfights are a national shame, a barbaric cruelty and if they represent me, then I am not Spanish. "Many Spaniards were outraged that such torture is legal here." Activists at the rally held signs with slogans such as 'Bullfighting, the school of cruelty' and 'Bullfighting, a national shame'. The protest was organised by the Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA), a Spanish political party that runs on a platform of animal rights. A spokesman for the PACMA confirmed that the event was the largest anti-bullfighting protest in history but did not provide exact figures of those in attendance.

GETTY Madrid's leftist mayor has withdrawn subsidies for bullfighting schools

According to a World Animal Protection poll earlier this year, 19 per cent of adults in Spain supported bullfighting while 58 per cent opposed it. Mari Paz Rojo, an activist at the rally, said: "It makes me sad that some people want to have fun at the expense of another living being. There are other ways to pass the time. "We don't want Spaniards to be identified with bullfighting, this is not our national fiesta." Madrid resident Azucena Perez added: "I think our laws should prohibit the torture of animals as a form of entertainment."

The backlash against the practice has been brought to the streets of Spain's capital following a series of shocking ordeals suffered by both the animals and the humans in the bull ring. A famous bullfighter, 29-year-old Victor Barrio, died in July after being gored, becoming the first matador to die in the ring in the country for more than 30 years. Last month, a graphic video which showed a baby bull being killed by amateur bullfighters went viral, reaching more than 20 million views in less than 24 hours. Nearly twenty Spanish cities and towns have cut municipal funding for bullfights or passed legislation condemning or banning it in the past five years. The Catalonia region banned bullfighting altogether in 2011.

REUTERS Only 19% of adults in Spain supported bullfighting, while 58% opposed it