On Wednesday, thousands of revelers dressed in white and wearing red scarves flooded the streets of Pamplona, Spain. The first San Fermin bull-running festival began after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The light rain didn't dampen the spirit of the crowd gathered in the city's Townhall Square. Their clothes were already saturated with sangria and red wine that was flowing freely throughout the festival's eight-day duration, which Ernest Hemingway's novel, "The Sun Also Rises" made famous.
Due to restrictions on coronavirus, the annual event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021. Animal rights groups want it to be banned.
Michelle Rene, 45 of San Francisco, said, "I've been many times to San Fermin before, but this time it is very different. People have missed the celebration. They are happy to be together with their families, happy not to wear masks, they just want to feel alive and enjoy sunshine."
Pablo Cortes, a tourist hailing from Hawaii, added that he was also watching the opening ceremony of "Chupinazo" from a balcony. "The energy, this is the greatest party ever, the greatest thing, I've ever seen, " he said.
Many people dance and drink all night.
The six purpose-bred bull fighting bulls will chase runners along the narrow streets of Pamplona’s Old Quarter for 800m (half a mile) starting on Thursday. They will continue for one week including the weekend when they are most dangerous due to larger crowds.
Each run lasts three to five minutes and there are eight total. They finish at the bullring where the animals are corralled and then return for the evening bullfight when they are killed.
On Tuesday, hundreds of animal rights activists in dinosaur costumes protested in Pamplona. They chanted "Bullfighting was prehistoric!"
It is also dangerous for humans. Over the years, at least 16 runners have died. The last victim was a bull-bitten man in 2009.
