The 2017 pro-jallikattu protests, also known as the pro-jallikattu movement,[8][9] refers to numerous leaderless apolitical youth groups protesting in January 2017 in large groups in several locations across the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, with some sporadic smaller protests taking place across India,[10] as well as overseas.[11][12] The chief motivation of the protest is against the Supreme Court's order to ban jallikattu (occasionally also known as sallikattu, eru taluval, or manju virattu), a traditional Tamil bull taming sport,[13] which is held during Pongal, a harvest festival in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The sport is conducted annually on the second day of the Tamil month Thai. The sport was banned by the Supreme Court in a decision citing animal cruelty based on a lawsuit filed by the animal rights activists group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which asserted that the tradition violates the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act
