Spain's controversial Pamplona bull run festival gets under way

The famous running of the bulls event in Pamplona, northern Spain, kicked off on Saturday, despite protests from animal rights activists.

The bull runs are part of the nine-day San Fermín Festival held in the city at the beginning of July each year.

The festival officially kicked off at midday with the traditional Chupinazo, the firing of a small rocket from the town hall balcony, in front of thousands of spectators.

The first of several bull runs will be held from Sunday.

The festival is dedicated to Pamplona's city saint San Fermín and dates back to the end of the 16th century.

While the San Fermín Festival also includes numerous concerts and processions, the bull runs and bullfights are the highlight of the festivities.

Each day between July 7 and 14, hundreds of people will chase six massive bulls, some weighing over 600 kilograms, and several oxen through the city's narrow alleyways into an arena where bullfights are held in the evening.

Every year, several people are injured the 875 metre long course.

Animal rights activists have been protesting the bull runs for years. Despite this, the festival continues to attract thousands of visitors from all over the world, mainly from Europe, Australia, Asia and the US.