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.