The highlight of the nine-day festival is the early morning runs in which thousands of people rush crazily to avoid six bulls as they charge along a winding, to the city's bullring.
PAMPLONA, Spain -- Thousands of revelers erupted in celebration Wednesday as the traditional"chupinazo" firework was ignited to start the San Fermín bull-run festival in the Spanish city of Pamplona, ending a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.Rain did nothing to dampen the atmosphere as crowds, nearly all dressed in the traditional garb of white trousers and shirt with red sash and neckerchief, crammed the tiny town hall square for the noon event.
Pamplona's population of some 200,000 balloons to nearly a million on peak days during the festival, especially over the weekend, including many foreigners. Many visitors don't stop partying through the night or grab some sleep wherever they can outside. "This 'chupinazo' is dedicated to all those health workers and people who helped us during the pandemic, and to all those suffering from ALS. Long live San Fermín," he shouted from a wheelchair to the seething throng below.
City officials have urged people to not forget that coronavirus infections are on the rise again and encouraged the use of masks. But the multitudinous runs and sideline parties will make this guideline very difficult follow. Animal rights protesters have also become a fixture in Pamplona. On the eve of this year's festival, dozens of activists dressed as dinosaurs and held"Bullfighting is Prehistoric" signs as they ran the bull-run route to protest what they see as animal cruelty, urging tourists not to participate.
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