Running of the bulls festival begins in Spain
Source: Agencies |
July 7, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SPAIN shrugged off its economic woes yesterday as tens of thousands of Spaniards and foreigners jammed a historic plaza in Pamplona and sprayed each other with wine as a firecracker rocket blasted off to launch the famed San Fermin bull-running festival.
The nine-day street drinking party got under way at midday with the traditional shout from the city hall balcony of "Viva San Fermin!", followed seconds later by the firing of the firecracker known as the chupinazo.
Today, daredevils will race just ahead of huge bulls running along Pamplona's cobblestoned streets, and gorings are virtually assured.
The rocket blast was the signal to the revelers - almost all in the festival's traditional dress of white shirts and pants with red sashes - to erupt into party mode. People sang and whooped while drenching each other with sangria, cheap wine and champagne.
The party's start was marred when Basque separatists raised their flag into the air from the crowd. Witnesses said police used batons to beat some people in the crowd.
Dozens of people are injured each year in the bull runs. Some are gored and trampled by the beasts. Last year's festival saw the first goring death in nearly 15 years.
The fiesta became an international event after Ernest Hemingway wrote about it in "The Sun Also Rises."
The nine-day street drinking party got under way at midday with the traditional shout from the city hall balcony of "Viva San Fermin!", followed seconds later by the firing of the firecracker known as the chupinazo.
Today, daredevils will race just ahead of huge bulls running along Pamplona's cobblestoned streets, and gorings are virtually assured.
The rocket blast was the signal to the revelers - almost all in the festival's traditional dress of white shirts and pants with red sashes - to erupt into party mode. People sang and whooped while drenching each other with sangria, cheap wine and champagne.
The party's start was marred when Basque separatists raised their flag into the air from the crowd. Witnesses said police used batons to beat some people in the crowd.
Dozens of people are injured each year in the bull runs. Some are gored and trampled by the beasts. Last year's festival saw the first goring death in nearly 15 years.
The fiesta became an international event after Ernest Hemingway wrote about it in "The Sun Also Rises."
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