Bullfighter, 22, gored to death during debut performance

He passed away on Friday

The event, which took place in front of 7,000 people, was bullfighter Manuel Maria Trindade's first ever performance in the ring.

A video of the incident shows Trindade hestitate as a 1500lb bull charges towards him.

The 22-year-old was then lifted and carried to the other side of the ring where he was relentlessly attacked.

Organisers were only able to separate the bull from Trindade by shining a bright light in his eyes and pulling on its tail.

By this time it was too late for paramedics to save the bullfighter's life.

The performer suffered traumatic head injuries and was declared brain dead when he arrived at a nearby hospital.

Unlike Spanish bullfighting, the Portuguese version is meant to be a bloodless sport where performers use techniques like tugging on a bull's horn to slow down and tire the animals without harming them.

Despite this key difference, Trindade's death led to a less-than-sympathetic response from animal rights groups like he Portuguese animal rights political party People-Animals-Nature (PAN).

Trindade's mother has since penned a letter to the PAN and its supporters.

It reads: "I want to thank you for all your applause, laughter, and rejoicing over my son’s death. Did you know him well enough to be happy about his death? Do you know if he liked animals?

"My son belonged to a group of brothers who wear a jacket with honor and bravery. These groups never harmed a bull; they handled it skillfully!”