Animal rights activists march in Pamplona to protest bullfighting festival

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Animal rights activists march in Pamplona to protest bullfighting

festival

 

 

 

 

 

Canadian Press

 

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MADRID, Spain (AP) - Several hundred animal rights activists - some in

their underwear - marched through the streets of Pamplona on Tuesday to

protest bullfighting on the eve of the Spanish city's wildly popular

running of the bulls.

Behind a banner that read No to Bullfighting, some 700 supporters of

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, marched along the

same cobblestone route that bulls and daredevil humans cover every July

in a series of mad dashes from a holding pen to the bullring.

Protesters also shouted slogans like " Cruel with bulls, cruel with

everyone, " " Bulls yes, bullfighters no, " and " Torture is neither art nor

culture " in a festive march that gathered people from different

countries.

The protest ended with PETA demanding a San Fermin festival without

animals, " in line with the times were live in, " the state-run Efe news

agency reported.

The protesters had planned to run totally nude but could not because

they did not get the necessary town hall permit, Efe said.

This year's festival begins Wednesday with a ceremony called the

chupinazo, in which a small rocket is fired from a balcony overlooking

the main square to signal the start of nine days of street parties in

honour of the city's patron saint, San Fermin.

The first of eight bull runs is scheduled for Thursday.