Spain's controversial Pamplona bull run festival gets under way

The San Fermín Festival, famous for the running of the bulls, got under way in Pamplona on Saturday with the firing of the Chupinazo rocket from the city hall balcony at the stroke of noon.

Tens of thousands of spectators crowded the square, most of them dressed in traditional white, waving red scarves and shouting "Viva San Fermín." RTVE state television carried the ceremony of the increasingly controversial but popular event live.

"I'm very moved. My father always watched it on television and dreamed of being here one day, He didn't manage it, and he's no longer with us. I'm here for him," a tearful Mexican woman told RTVE.

Spanish national football team player Nico Williams, 21, is one fan of the event who was not present after helping Spain beat Germany on Friday in the European Football Championships. "Normally I'm there every year. This time it wasn't possible, but if we get to the finals, its absolutely OK," he told Spain's AS sports newspaper.

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

The festival is dedicated to Pamplona's patron saint 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 Sunday 7 and Sunday July 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. The animals are not hurt.

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