On the fourth day of Pamplona’s traditional bull-running festival in Spain, several have already been injured. Ongoing protests from animal rights activists are failing to stop the dated festival and end the suffering of the animals.
In the North of Spain, the festival of San Fermin holds the oldest and most visited bull run. The event spans nine days and attracts thousands of visitors every year. On the fourth day of the 2023 festival, at least seven individuals were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained.
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Typically, after the stampede takes place the bulls are led to a bullring. Here, they are made to run from one end to another until they are tired out by a bullfighter. Finally, they meet their fate by being killed by a matador. Only a select few, which show “exceptional skill” are allowed to live.
PETA, along with other Animal rights groups, have long protested the event. This year, they were adorned in red cloaks with large bull horns as they held up signs in protest. The organization has gathered more than 70,000 signatures on its petition, which urges the mayor of Pamplona to ban the bull run and replace it with a more “humane alternative that does not involve animals”. The petition states, “At only 5 years old, bulls brought to Pamplona face a terrifying mob of people who chase them through the narrow streets of the city. They often lose their footing around corners and crash into walls, sometimes breaking bones or injuring themselves in other ways.
“They’re then repeatedly taunted in the bullring, forced to run to the point of exhaustion, and stabbed with multiple weapons, enduring a slow, painful death. This cruelty is rightfully banned in many parts of the world.
“We, the undersigned, demand an end to this violence and urge you to replace the bull runs and bullfights with humane activities that don’t involve animals.”
