HALIFAX—Protesters gathered on Brunswick Street Saturday as people lined up for a bull riding event at the Scotiabank Centre.

The group, which calls itself Stop Animal Abusive Bull Riding in Halifax, donned black clothing and red armbands, holding signs in a silent protest against the PBR Monster Energy Tour. A petition circulated online by the group calling for a ban on bull riding events in the city had been signed over 75,000 times by the time of the event.

“It’s indefensible. If you did this to a dog or a cat, the SPCA would be on you like glue and you’d be known as an animal abuser. These guys do it every day and it’s okay, it’s just [accepted],” said Ty Savoy, one of the organizers of the protest.

Bull riding has come under fire throughout the past century. Savoy said he’s worked to get other events, such as pig scrambles, shut down. This is the first event of its kind in Halifax since 2006 and Savoy believes it should be the last.

“Animals used for entertainment. The rules should be if you can’t ask them, if they can’t consent, you shouldn’t do it,” Savoy said.

“It’s a cultural thing. You’re brought up and you just go along with it. Most grown adults would never even question it. We’re trying to get them to question it.”

Parker MacDonald and Jessica Clare are two people who turned up to see the bull riding. MacDonald has been a fan of the sport since he was a kid, saying that he used to get in trouble for trying to climb on top of cows when he was younger.

When asked about the protesters, he said he “gets were they’re coming from” but that he thinks the bulls used in the event are treated fairly well.

“At least here they’re getting proper food and bedding and there’s vets on site,” MacDonald said.

“It’s eight seconds,” Clare said. It’s eight seconds max. They’re not overworked here, they’re not over used. They’re not damaged.”

Angela Pinner is also a bull riding fan and can also understand why people would protest the event. She said she does think the animals can be mistreated but she finds the enjoyment she gets from the events outweigh her concerns.

Bull riding dates back to the mid 19th century. Alex Rudcovski, another one of the protest’s organizers, said that just because it’s a cultural tradition doesn’t mean it’s something that should continue.

“We just don’t think that bull riding is something that should go on in 2018. You know we’re developing our society ... and some injustices that were not right in earlier times, we change them … they’re not athletes, they’re animals,” she said.

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She hopes the protest will make people think more deeply about the ways in which animals are used in rodeo events.

“It’s all business and it shouldn’t be at the expense of animals,” she said. “We need to remember that this is an industry, and welfare and money sometimes they don’t go together.”

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