The famous running of the bulls in Pamplona, northern Spain, began on Saturday despite protests from animal rights activists.
The bullfights are part of the nine-day San Fermín Festival held in the city at the beginning of July each year.
The festival officially kicked off at noon with the traditional Chupinazo, the firing of a small rocket from the balcony of the City Hall, in front of thousands of spectators.
The first of several bull runs will be held from Sunday.
The festival is dedicated to the saint San Fermín of the city of Pamplona and dates back to the end of the 16th century.
Although the San Fermín Festival also includes numerous concerts and processions, bull runs and bullfights are the highlight of the festivities.
Every day between July 7 and 14, hundreds of people will chase six enormous bulls, some weighing more than 600 kilograms, and several bulls through the city’s narrow alleys to an arena where bullfights take place at night.
Every year, several people are injured on the 875 meter route.
Animal rights activists have protested bullfighting for years. Despite this, the festival continues to attract thousands of visitors from around the world, mainly from Europe, Australia, Asia and the USA.
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