The famous running of the bulls, traditionally held in Pamplona, Spain, has begun despite protests by animal rights activists.
This year’s festival traditionally started with the firing of a rocket, called “chupinazo” in Spanish, from the balcony of the town hall.
The San Fermin Festival takes place every year from July 6 to 14.
The most famous manifestation of the festival is the “encierro”, i.e. running with bulls in the narrow streets of the center of Pamplona, and although every year more participants are injured, the streets are full of participants.
San Fermin has a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages, and Pamplona receives up to 1.5 million tourists during the days of the festival.
The nine-day celebration of San Fermin was popularized by Ernest Hemingway, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, in his 1926 novel “The Sun Is Born Again.”, AA writes.
Photo: Radiozona
