The Pamplona bull running festival has joined the long list of globally renowned events that have been cancelled because of the coronavirus. From the 2020 Summer Olympics that was scheduled to take place in Tokyo to the Coachella festival in California, the global pandemic has forced the cancellation of mass events.
The mayor of Pamplona has mentioned that although this was expected, it still gives her great grief to formally announce it. She added that the festival could have only taken place with social distancing measures intact and everyone wearing masks, which was incompatible with the spirit of the San Fermin festival.
The San Fermin festival is known to have its roots back in medieval times. It gained global fame with the hit of Ernest Hemingway’s 1927 novel “The Sun Also Rises”, where the festival is depicted in vivid details. Usually, the festival takes place between July 6th and 14th.
The last time the festival was cancelled was back in 1997, when a local politician was assassinated by politically charged activists. Since 1910, 16 people have been killed in the festival. The most recent casualty was in 2009. Animal activists have long denounced the festival for the great stress it gave to the bulls.
The San Fermin festival has long been a major source of income for the usually quiet city of Pamplona. Some sources allege that up to 1 million participants are involved during the week-long festival. From the famous bull-running to nightlong parties, the event has been touted as a must-see festival for many daring tourists.
One famous participant is Peter Milligan, a 50-year-old lawyer from Colorado. He has gained fame and even written a book for participating in the festival for 99 times. Milligan told the Daily Mail that he had cancelled his trip back in February.
The cancellation comes as Spain continues to suffer from the global pandemic. During March, the number of patients were increasing by 15~20% on a daily basis. The rate has declined to around 2~3% daily, with a total of 204,178 confirmed cases and 4,266 deaths total.
However, experts believe that even this number is underestimated. The death tolls from the Catalan region were only recently and reluctantly included by the Spanish government. The Catalonians have staged massive protests for their independence that has greatly angered the central government in Madrid.
What do you think about this story? Share with us your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to follow us on Facebook for more articles like this one.
Replaced!