The Fight to Preserve Bullfighting in Spain

Animal rights activists say the man-versus-bull contest is cruel and should be a thing of the past

Spanish bullfighter Alfonso Cadaval performs a pass during a bullfight at the Real Maestranza bullring in Seville on Sept. 30, 2018. Cristina Quicler/AFP/Getty Images

BARCELONA—When Virginia Ruíz jumped into the ring to comfort a dying a bull, she stunned her native Spain.

To some, the sight of a woman trying to offer solace to an animal whose life was ebbing away prompted sympathy.