Fireworks herald start of Spanish bull runs

A traditional firework known as the “Chupinazo” kicked off Pamplona’s famed san fermin running of the bulls festival yesterday.

The bull runs are the highlight of the worldfamous fiesta, but its seamless nine days and eight nights of traditional events, music and alcohol-soaked parties attract around one million visitors every year to the Spanish city of nearly 200,000. Authorities have launched all kind of security measures and special protocols to prevent and deal with sexual abuse cases, which are increasingly being reported by women.

Stepped-up police surveillance and training, information booths and 24-hour hotlines are being reinforced this year with a new mobile app that allows the instant reporting of abuse, including victims’ real-time locations.

The festival opened when a man and a woman from a local music band whose members have Down Syndrome launched a rocket from Pamplona’s town hall balcony.