At least five runners were slightly injured in the first bull hunt at this year’s “Sanfermines” festival in Pamplona on Friday.
At least five runners were slightly injured at the “Sanfermines” festival in Pamplona, northern Spain, on Friday. They mainly suffered bruises, but there were no serious injuries due to the bulls’ long, pointed horns, state TV broadcaster RTVE reported about the event, which was as famous as it was controversial. One of the youths suffered a concussion in the fall. Everyone came to the hospital.
The party in honor of the city’s saint San Fermín began the day before and ends next Friday. Every day, early in the morning, six fighting bulls, some of which weigh over 600 kilos, and several tame lead oxen are chased through the narrow streets of the old town for the evening bullfights in the arena. Dozens of runners are injured each year in the predominantly young men’s tests of courage along the 825-metre course. There have been 16 deaths since 1924, the last one in 2009.
This year, animal welfare groups protested the traditional event, which has been held 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 several languages that read “Pamplona: violence and death to the police”. Despite all the criticism, the festival attracts countless tourists from all over the world.
Nav-Account dob Time08.07.2023, 14:45| Act: 7/8/2023, 2:45 pm