Anti-bullfighting activists try to reach Pope Francis motorcade

During Pope Francis's visit to Piazza di Spagna in Rome on December 8 to commemorate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a group of four activists attempted to approach his motorcade in protest against bullfighting. According to Il Sole 24 Ore, the activists were four young women: one Spanish, two German, and one English. They managed to jump over the barriers on Via Tomacelli as the papal procession was heading towards the square.

The activists displayed signs condemning bullfighting, with slogans such as "stop blessing the bullfights" and "the bullfight is a sin", as reported by Il Messaggero. Their aim was to urge Pope Francis to intervene against the practice of bullfighting in Spain and to stop the Church's blessing of such events, according to Il Giornale.

Security forces promptly intervened to prevent the activists from reaching the Pope's vehicle. "ANSA" reported that one of the activists tried to rush towards one of the cars in the papal convoy but was blocked by security, causing a brief commotion among the police officers and bodyguards. All four activists were stopped, and the motorcade continued its course without further incident.

After being apprehended, the activists were taken to the offices of the Trevi district police for identification. Il Giornale stated that the young women were heard and identified by the authorities. Their position is under examination by the investigators, as noted by Il Sole 24 Ore.

Una persona se brinca la valla y se lanza al papamóvil... La policía corre al coche. El Papa está bien. Pasó en el trayecto del Papa hacia piazza Spagna para el homenaje a la Virgen María en el día de la Inmaculada este 8 de diciembre en Roma pic.twitter.com/ErDyQ91uV9

— P. Jorge Enrique Mújica, LC (@web_pastor) December 8, 2024

The incident caused some concern among those present, but it was resolved quickly due to the swift action of the security personnel. In security circles, it was emphasized that the reaction of the security system "worked," according to Il Sole 24 Ore. The Pope is fine following the incident, as reported by "Proto Thema."

PETA UK acknowledged the event on social media. "BREAKING: Four PETA supporters just arrested after throwing themselves in front of Pope Francis’ vehicle as they begged for His Holiness to cut the Church’s ties to bullfighting‼️" the organization tweeted, as cited by Zougla.

Additionally, P. Jorge Enrique Mújica, LC, shared details of the incident on Twitter: "A person jumped the barrier and threw themselves at the papamobile... The police ran to the car. The Pope is fine. It happened during the Pope's route to Piazza Spagna for the tribute to the Virgin Mary on the day of the Immaculate Conception this December 8 in Rome," as noted by LIFO.

This is not the first time Pope Francis has been targeted by anti-bullfighting protesters. Il Messaggero reported that during the celebration of Second Vespers in the Roman Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura, two protesters disrupted the service by storming the nave wearing t-shirts with the writing "Stop blessing corridas." The agents of the Vatican Gendarmerie blocked the two women and, with some effort, removed them from the basilica, then handed them over to the Italian police.

In August, during the general audience in Aula Paolo VI, two PETA protesters raised signs saying "Killing the bulls is a sin" and were removed by the Swiss Guards and taken to the gendarmerie, as reported by Il Sole 24 Ore. Similar incidents occurred on September 26 during Pope Francis's visit to Luxembourg, when a PETA protester threw himself in front of the Popemobile and was immediately blocked by agents.

Despite these disruptions, Pope Francis continued his duties without interruption. During the prayer at the foot of the statue of the Madonna in Piazza di Spagna, the Pope remarked on the ongoing construction in the city. "In the city everywhere there are construction sites: this – you know – causes no small inconveniences, and yet it is a sign that Rome is alive, it is renewing itself, it is trying to adapt to the needs, to be more welcoming and more functional," he said, according to ANSA.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq