Bull chasing in Spain - Controversial Sanfermín festival opens in Pamplona
In spite of protests from animal rights activists, a new edition of the famous and controversial bull runs in Pamplona takes place. The overall nine-day San Fermin festival was opened at midday before thousands of enthusiastic people with the traditional "Chupinazo", the firing of a small rocket from the town hall balcony. The first bull fight takes place in the northern Spanish town on a Sunday.
The so-called Sanfermines are dedicated to the city's patron saint San Fermin and have been celebrated in the 200,000-inhabitant city of Navarra since the end of the 16th century, every year in the first week of July. There are not only bull runs and fights, but also numerous concerts and processions, as well as other events.
Bullfighting is the highlight of the festival in Pamplona
Bullfighting, however, is the highlight of the festivities: Between the 7th and the 14th of July, six bulls, each weighing up to 600 kilograms, and several oxen are chased through the narrow streets every morning by hundreds of people to the arena for the evening bullfights. During the bull charging trials of the predominantly young runners over the 875 meter long course, there are injuries every year.
Animal rights activists have been protesting against the wild bull running for many years. Yet the festival continues to attract thousands of visitors from all over the world, mainly from Europe, Australia, Asia, and the USA. Ernest Hemingway, an American writer, wrote about Pamplona in his first major novel "Fiesta" (1926).
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The spectacle of the bull chase, a key part of the festival, attracts participants every morning from the 7th to the 14th of July. Many visitors, drawn by the allure of Pamplona's Sanfermines, enjoy witnessing this traditional event on a Sunday, despite ongoing protests from animal rights activists.
