Activists strip to thongs to oppose Spain bull run

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World

Updates

 

July

5, 2005

Activists strip to thongs to oppose Spain bull run

By Emma Ross-Thomas

 

PAMPLONA, Spain

(Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters, some wearing just thongs and plastic bull

horns, marched through Pamplona

on Tuesday to protest against the centuries-old running of the bulls, Spain's

best known fiesta.

Each

morning during the week-long San Fermin festival,

six bulls are set loose on an 825-metre course through the city's cobbled

streets leading to the bull ring where they face a bullfighter's sword in an

evening fight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animal rights activists protest on the eve of the

start of the famous running of the bulls 'San Fermin'

festival in Pamplona

July 5, 2005. Hundreds

of activists stripped to their underpants and marched through the city

demanding an end to the festival. (REUTERS/Susana Vera)

 

 

 

Hundreds

of adrenalin and alcohol-fuelled aficionados crowd the course to follow the

tradition of running with the half tonne

beasts.

But

protesters say tradition is not a justification.

" It's

wrong to kill and its certainly wrong to

torture, " said Stella of Wales's Cynwyl Elfed, a woman in her seventies wearing just knickers and

strategically placed tape. " It is really sick to enjoy

torture. "

Tens of

thousands of tourists, particularly the United

States and Australia,

come each year to the July 6-14 festival made famous by Ernest Hemingway's

1920s tale of passion and drinking " The Sun also Rises " .

Local

authorities do not allow protesters to march naked, as they did once in 2002.

This year many wore only their underwear, and many had slogans written across

their buttocks in temporary tattoos and painted mottos on each other in body

paint.

The

protest's organisers -- People for the Ethical

Treatment of Animals (PETA) -- said 700 marched. Police said there were 500

to 600.

Australian

veterinarian Andrew Knight, who came to Pamplona

from Perth for the protest, wore

just a thong and running shoes.

" Bullfighting

is one of the last public festivals involving pure public cruelty in the

world, " the 34-year-old said.

Banners

in several languages called for bullfighting to be banned. When protesters

reached the bull ring they called a minute of silence for the bulls which

would die this week.

Dozens

of locals in Pamplona,

a more conservative city than many parts of Spain,

lined the route to see the march, some in support, others were against

it.

" If

I were in the police's position, I wouldn't allow it, " Francisco, a 60

year old retired resident of Pamplona

said. " What does she think she's doing? " he said, pointing to a

nearly bare protester.

" There

are lots of small children about. "

 

 

 

 

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