San Diego chapter of Direct Action Everywhere wants to end cruelty in the name of entertainment in San Diego
A local group is calling on concerned San Diego residents to gather to call for an end to what they term “the barbaric Padres Rodeo at Petco Park” because of the deaths of a pregnant horse and her baby in January of 2025. This will be on Saturday, Dec. 13 at Waterfront Park. The event is organized by the San Diego chapter of Direct Action Everywhere.
They hope to be heard by the San Diego Padres, the city of San Diego, and the C5 Rodeo Company Inc., all of which organizers claim profit from the animal cruelty at the Padres Rodeo. This peaceful event will include speeches, live music, interactive art from local artists, and a collective call to action.
This rally comes in the wake of years of attempts by residents to engage city council members to pass legislation protecting animals from cruel rodeo practices. When an ordinance was proposed by Councilmember Kent Lee, after a compelling presentation by the San Diego Humane Society and hours of comments from residents in support of the ordinance, Councilmember Stephen Whitburn of District 3 — the district that contains Petco Park –remained silent when feedback was requested.
Featured speakers at the event will speak who belong to organizations including Kind Heart Coalition, Environmental Democrats, PlantDiego, local animal sanctuaries, and local attorneys who have been leading a lawsuit against the Padres, C5 Rodeo, and the City of San Diego on behalf of animal rights organizations Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL) and Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK).
For more information please see https://www.bansandiegorodeos.com.
Rodeo is condemned by nearly EVERY animal welfare organization on Earth due to its inherent cruelty. Rodeo has almost NOTHING to do with ranching. For most of the animals, the rodeo arena is merely a detour en route to the slaughterhouse. Real working ranch hands never routinely rode bulls, or rode bareback, or wrestled steers, or barrel raced, or practiced calf roping (terrified BABIES!) as a timed event. Nor did they put irritating flank straps on the horses and bulls or work them over in the holding chutes with painful “hotshots,” tail-twisting, kicks and slaps. Some “sport”!
Indeed, rodeo is not a true “sport” at all. That term denotes willing, evenly-matched participants. Rodeo does not qualify. Rather, it’s a mostly bogus, macho exercise in DOMINATION. It needs to end. And the media needs to stop promoting this blatant cruelty. I was present at the 1995 California Rodeo/Salinas when FIVE animals suffered and died, all in the name of “entertainment.” Only in the aftermath of the mayhem did the PRCA adopt a rule requiring on-site veterinarians at all their events. The great majority of the estimated 2,000+ U.S. rodeos don’t provide even this basic care, and animal injuries and deaths are commonplace. Even Cesar Chavez was an outspoken critic; ditto Pope Francis and Jane Goodall.
The United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales) outlawed rodeos back in 1934, soon followed by the Netherlands. Can the U.S. be far behind? Rodeo has had its brutal day and now belongs in the Dustbin of History. BOYCOTT ALL RODEOS, THEIR CORPORATE ADVERTISERS & SPONSORS. FOLLOW THE MONEY.
See prize-winning documentary, “BUCKING TRADITION” – http://www.buckingtradition.com (also available on YouTube).
1995 HSUS rodeo video, “Bucking the Myth” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRQFZwIfZrk&t=3