At least six people were injured in the second bull hunt during this year’s “Sanfermines” festival on Saturday morning in Pamplona in northern Spain.
Like six participants in the first run the day before, they mainly suffered bruises, and there were no serious injuries from the long, pointed horns of the bulls, the state TV broadcaster RTVE reported on the equally famous and controversial event. All six injured, including three US citizens, according to a report by the Europa Press news agency, were hospitalized.
Fighting bulls are hounded through the streets
The festival in honor of the city saint San Fermín started on Thursday and will end next Friday. Every day in the early morning, six fighting bulls, some of which weigh more than 600 kilograms, and several tame lead oxen are hunted through the narrow streets of the old town for the bullfights in the evening into the arena. Dozens of runners are injured every year in the courage tests of the predominantly young men over the 825-meter-long route. There have been 16 fatalities since 1924, the last in 2009. There are eight runs in total.
This year, animal welfare groups protested against the traditional event, which has been taking place since 1591 but has since become controversial in Spain. The activists wrapped themselves in blood-red robes from head to toe and held up signs in multiple languages that read “Pamplona: Violence and Death to Cops.” Despite all the criticism, the festival attracts countless tourists from all over the world.
