Latest news Tens of thousands celebrate start of bloody bull run in Spain

Clear the way for the wildest bull run in the world: the equally famous and controversial Sanfermín festival has opened in Pamplona in northern Spain. The opening rocket "Chupinazo" was fired from the balcony of the town hall at twelve o'clock in front of tens of thousands of packed and enthusiastic people. "Viva San Fermín", shouted almost all the people dressed in traditional white. The crowds sang, danced and waved their red scarves. The first of the eight bull runs is on Sunday.

The state TV station RTVE and others broadcast the opening ceremony live. A tourist from Mexico wept uncontrollably in front of the RTVE cameras: "I am very moved. My father always watched it on TV and dreamed of being here one day. He didn't make it. He is no longer with us. I'm here for him now too."

Among the fans at the spectacle is Pamplona-born football star Nico Williams (21), who knocked Germany out of the European Championship with the Spanish national team on Friday. "I usually celebrate every year. This time I can't. But if we get to the final, it's completely okay," he told the sports newspaper "AS".

The protests of the animal rights activists were in vain

But not everyone was in a party mood after the opening. Criticism and protests from animal rights activists are increasing from year to year. On Friday, the organizations PETA and AnimaNaturalis demonstrated against the nine-day festival in Pamplona. They described the wild spectacle as "medieval cruelty". They are calling for an end to bull runs and all bloody bullfights.

Some demonstrators chained themselves to the pillory on Friday, wore horns and painted their faces and hands with red paint. This was intended to symbolize the blood of the approximately 20,000 bulls that are killed every year at the various events with a centuries-old tradition in Spain.

There had already been several demonstrations in recent days, with participants carrying placards with slogans such as "Torture is neither art nor culture" and "Cruelty to animals is a national disgrace". "We know that there is a majority in society that rejects this cruelty to animals, not only in Pamplona but throughout Spain, and has no interest in maintaining it - especially not with our taxes," said AnimaNaturalis chairwoman Aida Gascón.

Criticism is growing, but so is the enthusiasm of the fans

Indeed, resentment and protests have been growing for years. On the other hand, the bloody fiesta in the Navarra region is enjoying a boom among staunch fans. According to official figures, a total of 1.5 million people attended last year - a record. This year, hotels reported an average occupancy rate of 90 percent days before the festival, and vacation apartments were no longer available at normal prices. It is a million-dollar business for the city.

Visitors come from the most diverse regions of Spain and from all over the world, including Germany, Great Britain, France, Australia, Japan and especially the USA. The US writer Ernest Hemingway wrote about Pamplona, which today has 200,000 inhabitants, in his first major novel "Fiesta" (1926).

The so-called Sanfermines are dedicated to the city's saint San Fermín and have been celebrated in Pamplona since the end of the 16th century, always at the beginning of July. There are not only bull runs and bullfights, but also many concerts, processions and other events for families and children.

The wild spectacle is not only dangerous for the animals

The running of the bulls is undoubtedly the highlight of the festivities: Between July 7 and 14, at eight o'clock every morning, six fighting bulls, some weighing over 600 kilograms, and also several leading oxen are chased by hundreds of people through narrow alleyways into the arena, where they are killed in bullfights in the evening. State television and other TV stations broadcast live until the end of the festivities. There are also special broadcasts and millions across Spain sit spellbound in front of their screens.

Locally, tens of thousands watch the bull run from balconies, walls and side streets at close range. Tourists sometimes pay hundreds of euros to rent a small balcony for a short time. A lot of red wine and sangría flows.

Meanwhile, the wild spectacle is not only dangerous for the animals: every year there are injuries as the predominantly young runners test their courage over the 875-metre-long course of the bull run. There have also been 16 fatalities since 1924, although the last one was 15 years ago.

SDA