As the Paris International Agricultural Show (SIA) is underway, the Committee for the Abolition of Bullfighting in Béziers (COLBAC) is protesting the continuation of “salon bullfighting” demonstrations at the event for the fourth consecutive year.
Since 2023, bullfighters have been performing demonstrations of bullfighting gestures (with capes and horns, but without animals) at the Show, and are available to the public and media. The organization believes the SIA’s high profile and extensive media coverage gives bullfighting national and international visibility, a situation they deem unacceptable.
Management Now Fully Informed
In 2025, COLBAC launched a campaign to request an end to this promotion of bullfighting at an event dedicated to agriculture.
Following a widespread public mobilization, the Show’s director, Valérie Le Roy, contacted the association. An official meeting was held on April 2, 2025, at the Comexposium headquarters, with representatives from COLBAC and CAP – Convergence Animaux Politique in attendance.
At the meeting, they submitted a comprehensive and detailed report demonstrating:
- the reality of the suffering inflicted on bulls for entertainment purposes;
- that bullfighting legally constitutes “acts of cruelty and serious mistreatment of an animal” according to article 521-1 of the Penal Code;
- that the breeding of fighting bulls is intended for bullfighting shows and not for food production;
- that the demonstrations at the SIA fall under events requiring authorization (according to the regulations) and can therefore be refused by the organizer.
According to Sophie Maffre-Baugé, president of COLBAC: “Bullfighting is not like other activities: it is a criminally reprehensible practice. It has no place at the SIA.”
Continued Despite Our Warnings
In a spirit of dialogue, we agreed not to publicize our discussions while awaiting the SIA’s decision, as Madame Valérie Le Roy indicated that the matter would be examined during a steering committee meeting.
In July 2025, the Show’s management finally confirmed the continuation of the demonstrations.
For COLBAC, the situation is now clear: the SIA’s management can no longer claim ignorance. It has chosen to continue promoting bullfighting – classified as “acts of cruelty and serious mistreatment” by the Penal Code – knowingly.
The bullfighters have already announced their presence this week.
An Inconsistency with the Show’s Commitments
The SIA nevertheless claims to promote animal welfare through its “SIA’ttitude” charter.
This position is deeply contradictory. The symbolic staging of bullfighting – even without animals – contributes to the normalization of a spectacle based on deliberate acts of violence inflicted on cattle.
Questions About the Show’s Independence
The president of the SIA, Jérôme Despey, is as well president of the Chamber of Agriculture of Hérault, vice-president of the FNSEA, and close to Robert Margé, a bull breeder near Béziers and organizer of bullfights.
COLBAC questions the independence of the Show and denounces a decision that serves the interests of the bullfighting community.
COLBAC Calls for Mobilization
In light of this deliberate choice by the Show’s management, COLBAC is calling on citizens, organizations, and public officials to contact the organizers of the Paris International Agricultural Show to stop the promotion of bullfighting at this major agricultural event.
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Sophie Maffre-Baugé
Présidente de l’association Colbac
