Pamplona- During this years San Fermin festival in Pamplona, the topics of sexual abuse and animal cruelty which will kick off on Friday for nine days and eight nights, with traditional bull fighting and traditional celebrations.
A new generation has highlighted the macho and violent streak of the festival. According to findings by Public University of Navarra, sexual assaults reported during the festival went from two in 2008, the same year a local woman was murdered after she refused to have sex with her killer, to 20 in 2016, when five men cornered an 18-year old, filmed themselves sexually attacking her and left after stealing her phone. The numbers have rose to 22 in 2017, amid growing public outrage.
Jana Uriz, 32, a local animal rights activist said, ” I dont want my city to be known to be a place for rampant sexual abuse or the torture of animals,” she demanded a “sexual abuse free” festival.
The growing movement has risen due to the #MeToo movement that has affected many industries across the world.
Shrouded in smoke demonstrators protest against bullfighting in front of the City Hall a day before of the famous San Fermin festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain. (Photo: Alvaro Barrientos / AP)
In 2016 the #Wolfpack case caused outrage after attackers filmed a video showing them sexually attacking a woman, the video went viral, five men were convicted for rape and serving nine years in prison but there was outrage after a provincial court cleared all the five men of the charges.
The men were released on bail, and people took to the streets with absolute outrage after the decision.
Thousands of women in all black have flooded the streets of Pamplona, Spain, during the annual Running of the Bulls festival to protest the release of the five men involved in the infamous "wolf pack" rape case. pic.twitter.com/2jNKJhDdQv
— Global Citizen (@GlblCtzn) July 6, 2018
Police in the Spanish province have put in measure to tackle the problem, such as increasing police surveillance and training, including 24 hour hotlines but this is not enough for some activists, they say it is not enough.
A woman reacts as demonstrators protest against bullfighting in front of the City Hall a day before of the famous San Fermin festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain. (Photo: Alvaro Barrientos / AP)
Naia Mira, 22 was among of the hundreds of women mostly in their twenties marching in Pamplona on Wednesday night, holding banners denouncing what they call a patriarchy that is in all levels of Spanish life.
“Fear needs to change sides,” said Mira, adding that distrust in the judicial system is pushing some feminists to push for more self-defense.
Demonstrators protest against bullfighting in front of the City Hall a day before of the famous San Fermin festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain. (Photo: Alvaro Barrientos / AP)
WATCH-
Revellers run in front of Puerto de San Lorenzo’s fighting bulls during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, in Pamplona, northern Spain. (Photo: Alvaro Barrientos / AP)
One of the grievances of the activists is bull fighting but due to the Spanish constitution that protects corridas as part of the nation’s cultural heritage but new regulations aim to turn bull fighting as blood-free shows, banning any torment to the bull.
WARNING- GRAPHIC IMAGE
Photo Credits- AFP
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