Pamplona cheers opening of running of bulls festival

PAMPLONA, Spain — The blast of a traditional firework on Saturday opened nine days of uninterrupted partying in Pamplona’s famed running of the bulls festival. A member of the northern city’s official brass band was chosen for this year’s launch of the rocket, known as the “Chupinazo,” to mark 100 years since the local ensemble’s foundation.

Jesus Garisoain addressed an ecstatic crowd from the balcony of city hall, declaring “Long live San Fermin,” the saint honored by the festival. The blast was met by an eruption from revelers, who sprayed each other with wine, staining the traditional attire of white clothes and a red scarf.

During the festival, Pamplona’s population swells from nearly 200,000 to around a million visitors, who are attracted by the adrenaline rush of bull runs along a 930yard street course to the city’s bullring and endless nights of partying.

The city is also trying to recover from the scandal that stemmed from a gang rape of an 18yearold woman during the 2016 festival. The initial prison sentences of nine years for sexual abuse to the five defendants last year was seen as too lenient and led to widespread public outcry, galvanizing the country’s feminist movement.

Last month, Spain’s Supreme Court overruled the lower courts and sentenced the men to 15 years in prison for rape. In the ruling, judges say the attackers were fully aware of the crime they were committing and bragged about it in a WhatsApp group that they called “The Animal Pack.”

The case has led to authorities in Pamplona to step up police surveillance and 24hour hot lines allowing reporting of abuse.

The protests of proanimal rights groups have also become a fixture in recent years. On the eve of the festival, activists staged a simulation of speared bulls lying dead on Pamplona’s cobbled streets to draw attention to what they see as animal cruelty for the sake of human entertainment.

Bullfights are protected under the Spanish Constitution as part of the country’s cultural heritage.

Alvaro Barrientos and Aritz Parra are Associated Press writers.

Ander Gillenea / AFP / Getty Images Revelers gathered in front of the city hall of Pamplona in northern Spain hold red scarves to mark the beginning of the annual San Fermin Festival.