It's the Spanish version of fox hunting, yet protests over bull fighting and running have certainly been grabbing the headlines in Pamplona.
Each year, the Spanish city hosts 'The Running Of The Bulls', a nine-day event which sees the release of six bulls through the city. It couples alongside the popular Spanish sport of bull fighting.
On Wednesday, hundreds of topless campaigners took to the streets of Pamploma, wearing horns and covered in fake blood, to protest against the bull run.
Credit: PA
Credit: PA
AnimaNaturalis and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) members stripped down to their black pants and covered their bodies in anti-cruelty slogans.
Director of AnimaNaturalis in Spain, Aida Gascon, read a statement in which she criticised the old tradition, saying: "From tomorrow, in this city, more than 50 bulls will be tortured to death.
"They will be persecuted and led by a crowd to the bullring, the plaza of shame, and the last minutes of their lives will be full of suffering and torture.
"We know that we will not be able to stop these deaths but we will continue here so that those deaths do not go unnoticed."
The activists also called for political representatives to show courage, justice, solidarity and empathy.
Credit: PA
Credit: PA
The bull run course is approximately 875 metres through the city centre, with the first run at 8am. The average run sees 50 to 100 people injured, and there have been 15 deaths since 1910.
This is the 14th year that protests have been staged, and over 150,000 signatures have been signed this year under the banner 'San Fermin without blood'.
The Mayor of Pamplona, Joseba Asiron, has warned tourists and local people to abide by the regulations or face prosecution.
The profession of being a bull fighter can often see the tables turned once in a while. Each year a story emerges of such a person being mauled by a bull and, often, killed.
Credit: RTVE.es
In April, a 23-year-old bull fighter was gored through the throat during his debut tournament.
Daniel Garcia Navarrete was sighting a 1,000lb bull in Las Ventas, Madrid in front of 10,000 people.
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The debate of whether bull fighting should be banned will continue, with this year's run due to officially start on July 6.
Featured Image Credit: PA