Madrid, Europe Brief News – Animal rights activists dressed as dinosaurs paraded through the streets of Pamplona, Spain to protest the San Fermin ‘Running of the Bulls’ festival.
Dozens of protestors chased one another through the town, with many clad in huge inflatable dinosaur costumes.
“Bullfighting is pre-historic,” the activists’ placards declared.
The protest came two days before the opening of the city’s traditional San Fermin festival.
Organised by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Spanish NGO AnimalNaturalis, it is the 18th year in a row demonstrations have taken place ahead of San Fermin.
Between 6 July and 14 July every year, more than one million people descend on the Northern Spanish town of Pamplona for the San Fermin festival.
Each morning, six charging bulls pursue thousands of runners through the city’s cobbled streets to the bullring.
The average duration of a bull run is 2 minutes 30 seconds. The herds can reach speeds of 24 km/h. The bulls then take part in the afternoon bullfight.
Since 1910, 16 participants have died during the bull run.
The tradition dates back to the 16th century – but activists argue it is cruel and barbaric.
The 2022 festival is the first since 2019, after the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to COVID. Organisers expect the population of the town to swell to at least one million.
