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Spanish Town Nixes Bullfighting

The mayor insists the town needs books over bulls.
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By 

Editorial Fellow, The Huffington Post

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Credit: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images

Textbooks over toros! A cash-strapped Spanish town is redirecting bullfighting funds to a program that provides books for local children. 

Villafranca de los Caballeros, a small town an hour and a half's drive from Madrid, has celebrated its annual summer festival with a traditional bullfight for more than a decade. But this year the town plans to use its 18,000 euro (about $19,765) bullfighting budget to help families that can't afford school supplies buy books for their children, the Guardian reported. The majority socialist town council approved the proposal Thursday.

Mayor Julián Bolaños told The Huffington Post that despite the vote, his town isn't opposed to bullfights, which draw the ire of animals rights activists and can be fatal for participants. “I am not anti-bullfighting, although I see bullfighting as a shameful spectacle. I don’t like to watch an animal being abused to death, but I am not against a business that reports millions of euros to the country," he said. 

Bolaños said he would be open to bullfighting organizers who assume "absolutely all costs" hosting celebrations in the future.

"That’s for sure, but the council is not earmarking a single euro from the budget to finance the show, " he said.

The mayor said Villafranca de los Caballeros' residents have congratulated the decision. Even those who love bullfighting think the money could be better used in other ways.

 Additional reporting by HuffPost Spain's Guillermo Rodriguez.

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Revelers take part in festival of Els Enfarinats, in the town of Ibi near Alicante, Spain, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012. For 200 years the inhabitants of Ibi annually celebrate with a battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers, outside the city town hall. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz) (credit:AP)
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Revelers take part in festival of Els Enfarinats, in the town of Ibi near Alicante, Spain, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012. For 200 years the inhabitants of Ibi annually celebrate with a battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers, outside the city town hall. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz) (credit:AP)
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Revelers take part in festival of Els Enfarinats, in the town of Ibi near Alicante, Spain, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012. For 200 years the inhabitants of Ibi annually celebrate with a battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers, outside the city town hall. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz) (credit:AP)
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Revelers take part in festival of Els Enfarinats, in the town of Ibi near Alicante, Spain, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012. For 200 years the inhabitants of Ibi annually celebrate with a battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers, outside the city town hall. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz) (credit:AP)
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Revelers take part in festival of Els Enfarinats, in the town of Ibi near Alicante, Spain, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012. For 200 years the inhabitants of Ibi annually celebrate with a battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers, outside the city town hall. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz) (credit:AP)
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A man reacts as he takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a floor fight in the town of Ibi, in the south-eastern Spain on December 28, 2012. (JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A man reacts as he takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a floor fight in the town of Ibi, in the south-eastern Spain on December 28, 2012. (JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Military dressed men smashes eggs on the head of a man as they take part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a floor fight in the town of Ibi, in the south-eastern Spain on December 28, 2012. (JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A military dressed man throws an egg as he takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a floor fight in the town of Ibi, in the south-eastern Spain on December 28, 2012. (JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A military dressed man holding eggs takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a floor fight in the town of Ibi, in the south-eastern Spain on December 28, 2012. (JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A military dressed man with flour and eggs on his face looks on as he takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a floor fight in the town of Ibi, in the south-eastern Spain on December 28, 2012. (JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A military dressed man is pulled by other as they take part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a floor fight in the town of Ibi, in the south-eastern Spain on December 28, 2012. (JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A military dressed man reacts as he takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a floor fight in the town of Ibi, in the south-eastern Spain on December 28, 2012. (JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A Reveler takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a flour fight in celebration of the Els Enfarinats festival on December 28, 2012 in Ibi, Spain. Citizens of Ibi annually celebrate the festival with a battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A Reveler takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a flour fight in celebration of the Els Enfarinats festival on December 28, 2012 in Ibi, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Revelers take part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a flour fight in celebration of the Els Enfarinats festival on December 28, 2012 in Ibi, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A military dressed man takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a floor fight in the town of Ibi, in the south-eastern Spain on December 28, 2012. (JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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Revelers take part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a flour fight in celebration of the Els Enfarinats festival on December 28, 2012 in Ibi, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A military dressed man takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a floor fight in the town of Ibi, in the south-eastern Spain on December 28, 2012. (JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A Reveler takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a flour fight in celebration of the Els Enfarinats festival on December 28, 2012 in Ibi, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A Reveller takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a flour fight in celebration of the Els Enfarinats festival on December 28, 2012 in Ibi, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A Reveller takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a flour fight in celebration of the Els Enfarinats festival on December 28, 2012 in Ibi, Spain. Citizens of Ibi annually celebrate the festival with a battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A Reveller poses after taking part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a flour fight in celebration of the Els Enfarinats festival on December 28, 2012 in Ibi, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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A military dressed man throws flour at a woman's face as they take part in the battle of 'Enfarinats', a floor fight in the town of Ibi, in the south-eastern Spain on December 28, 2012. (JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
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