The bullfight was suspended again in Mexico City three days after it was officially reinstated, and a judge’s decision on Wednesday marks a new stage in a legal dispute that has lasted almost two years, AFP reported.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of “enthusiasts” watched the resumption of bullfighting at the world’s largest bullring in Mexico City, which seats 42,000.

In December, the Supreme Court overturned the first court order of 2022 from June, which banned the organization of bullfighting shows.

On Wednesday, a judge suspended another bullfighting show in Mexico’s capital.

This new measure, adopted at the request of an animal rights association, will remain in effect until February 7, when a hearing is scheduled on a possible ban on bullfighting in Mexico City.

“The temporary suspension is granted so that the responsible authorities refrain from taking appropriate action by immediately suspending the bullfight,” the decision reads.

The second bullfight of the season was scheduled for the following Sunday. Organizers can try to overcome the new impasse.

The court ruling also requires authorities not to grant any permits for the rest of the season, which was to include stars such as French matador Sebastien Castella and Spaniards Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza and Andy Cartagena.

On Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators protested around the arena in the capital against the return of bullfighting to the majestic square.

Amid the legal dispute, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who opposes bullfighting, has proposed a referendum in the city to decide the future of bullfighting.

Four of Mexico’s 32 states have already banned bullfighting.

Other Latin American countries have also discussed this issue. Colombia and Ecuador have banned the killing of bulls, Venezuela has canceled some bullfights, and in Peru courts have ruled against the ban.

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