The city had held its first bullfight since 2022 on Sunday.

A judge had ordered an infinite suspension of the practice agreeing with animal rights activists who had filed a lawsuit. The practice of bullfighting goes back to 16th century Mexico. The Supreme Court had overturned the decision last month and a legal battle between supporters and opponents is likely. Local media reported that the court had failed to rule on the case’s merits and instead, only on its technical aspects.

“Torture is not art, it is not culture,” protestors were heard shouting. The protests occurred near the Plaza de Mexico bullring, which is the largest bullfighting arena in the world. People were waving banners with slogans such as “no more deaths of innocents.” Other protestors wore bull masks and painted themselves in red.

However, the inside of the stadium was filled with chants such as “Long live freedom.”

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has proposed a referendum on the future of bullfighting in Mexico City.

Around 250,000 bulls are killed in bullfights each year according to Humane Society International. Bullfighting is still legal in many parts of Mexico. There are only a few countries that allow the practice including France, Portugal, Columbia, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador. While it is legal in Spain, multiple cities have made bullfighting illegal.