Bull Run Spain News: 7 people gored to death in running of the bulls festivals in Spain
Every summer, it has been a staple for the festivals in Spain to hold the famous "running of the bulls" tradition. Injuries are somehow well expected in such risky events; however, this year's festivals have caused an unusual high number of deaths in a short period of time, totaling 7 since the opening of the festival in July. Four of the deaths only being in the past weekend.
According to BBC, some of the reported deaths included a 36-year-old councilor who gored in Penafiel, a town near Valladolid, north of Madrid. While another 18-year-old man was gored in the stomach in a town further north called Lerin, Navarra. The other five deaths occurred in the regions of Valencia, Murcia, Toledo, Castellon, and Alicante. In the small town of San Fermin in Pamplona, 10 people were apparently gored during the nine-day festival, however, luckily no one had died.
This tradition is not calling as much attention as bullfighting or "corridas," as they call it in Spain. Last year alone, 7,200 bulls and steers (castrated bull calves) were killed during bullfights across the country, while the fights alone are at a nearly 2,000 count every year. However, many animal rights groups have condemned the cruelty in such activity, which started to prompt action from the part of Spanish government. The continuous decline of fights is a significant sign that protests against this barbaric tradition are seeing positive results. In 2010, Catalonia became the second Spanish region to ban bullfighting, following suit of Canary Islands.
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Currently, although some political figures no longer condone this tradition, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy remains a fan. A 2013 Spanish law had been passed, defending bullfighting as part of the nation's culture, and that to "preserve it and promote it" would be the state's duty to do so.
