El Viaje al Infierno

July 6, 2004 3:48 AM

That most peculiar of spectacles the Fiesta de san Fermín (Running of the Bulls) seems to still exist and will be going ahead tomorrow. The event is held in parallel with Feria del Toro (the Bullfighting Fair); the run itself seems to be in the interests of transporting the bulls to the fair while getting them good and angry, confused, scared and weakened in the process. Being that the event is in honor of Saint Fermín, when the San Fermín church strikes 8am, the bulls are released and the runners get underway, trying to avoid them on their just under 1km trip. On arrival at the Plaza del Toro (Bullring) they are herded into corrals and later released so the crowd can watch the matadors kill them in traditional bullfighting fashion [wmv: 380k | 150k | 56k]. Of course, many people are not really so keen on this event; and it seems PETA will be holding one of their typically daft protests. Can't people just throw tomatoes at each other or something?
posted by ed\26h (7 comments total)

Sorry, bit of an essay that. Here's a vague mention. PETA links; woe betide me.
posted by ed\26h at 3:50 AM on July 6, 2004

Olé españa!
posted by Sijeka at 4:25 AM on July 6, 2004

Welcome Mr. Testis who is part of the colleccion sanfermin.

posted by tcp at 4:31 AM on July 6, 2004

why is the peta protest daft? just because? this event isn't so much peculiar as just plain cruel and that's all they are trying to communicate.
posted by n9 at 5:26 AM on July 6, 2004

I think it is daft because it doesn't seem fitting as a protest for something so utterly horrific. Imagine a "get naked for the genocide victims in Sudan" campaign; seems a bit weird to me. I don't think "just plain cruel" goes anywhere near far enough as a description of this affair.
posted by ed\26h at 5:41 AM on July 6, 2004

why is the peta protest daft? just because? this event isn't so much peculiar as just plain cruel and that's all they are trying to communicate.

Besides there's naked women involved and that's always a good thing.
posted by jonmc at 8:03 AM on July 6, 2004

I don't really have a problem with the Running of the Bulls. Then again, I'm usually rooting for the bulls to gore as many folks as possible.
posted by stifford at 8:58 AM on July 6, 2004