Southern France may be the last bastion of bullfighting

Much to the alarm of animal rights activists, bullfighting is enjoying an unlikely surge in popularity in France’s south. Rick Noack speaks to those for and against the bloodsport

Charles Pasquier performs in a ‘tienta’, a mock Spanish bullfight without any killing (The Washington Post by Clémence Losfeld)

The sound of horns clanging against a metal enclosure can be heard as hundreds of spectators arrive at a makeshift arena in a pine grove.

While adults indulge in bottles of wine, children bounce across an inflatable amphitheatre on a plastic bull with blood-red eyes. Soon, Charles Pasquier will face off against a real bull. But the 26-year-old bullfighter appears relaxed as he works the crowd before the contest.

Ten years ago, an event like this wouldn’t have attracted many people his age, he says. But now, “an enormous amount of young people are returning. There’s a wave of renewal.”