Spain's infamous Running of the Bulls festival is back after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, and so far, six runners have been injured at this year's festival in Pamplona.
First-runners on Monday were less lucky as three people were struck by raging bulls. One bull tossed and rammed one of the runners against the wooden barriers of the ring and then gorged another runner at the back of the leg, video images showed.
On Wednesday, there were many tense moments in the two-minute sprint for the hundreds of runners, mainly men, who ran alongside the agitated bulls through the cobblestone streets of Pamplona.
Not long into the race, a bull head-butted a runner twice before throwing him to the ground where he was stomped on by other bills and frenzied runners.
Inside the bull ring towards the end of the run, a runner who had fallen was trying to stand up was charged by a bull that catapulted him into the air.
Thousands of visitors descend upon the festival, popular for its parties, street food and events, in addition to bull-runs. The festival is on till Thursday.
Animal rights concerns
Animal rights advocates have long protested against bull-runs, citing animal cruelty concerns.
"Bullfighting is the long ritualised execution of bulls and many tourists who come to the bull-runs don’t actually realise that the same bulls they’re running down a couple of streets with are later killed in the bullring that day," said Chelsea Monroe, a senior digital campaign officer for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), in AFP.
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"They’re stabbed over and over again for 20 minutes until they’re dead," added Monroe. "We want the tourists to know that their money is supporting this really cruel industry."
Protests
Last week, dozens of animals rights activists disguised themselves as dinosaurs to be chased by fellow activists through Pamplona in a demonstration against animal cruelty.
In the protest, dinosaurs symbolised the bulls and the San Fermin crowds, with activists carrying signs that read 'Bullfighting is Prehistoric'. The activists wanted show that runs could be fun without cruelty to animals.
It was the 18th yearly protest staged by the (PETA) and Spanish NGO Animal Naturalis. Protests are usually held a day before the festival kicks off.
