3 gored in Spain’s bull running festival

A fallen runner gets trampled by a Ventorrillo fighting bull at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona.

An American and two Spaniards have been gored during Spainâ„¢s annual bull running festival which activists slam as Å“cruelty against animals.”

During the danger filled sixth bull run of Spain’s San Fermin festival in the city of Pamplona, one of the animals charged a 31-year-old Spaniard, Diego Miralles, and tossed him to the ground with its horns for almost 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, doctors were forced to remove the spleen of the 20-year-old American, Patrick Ekols, after it was found that the bull’s horn had gone through the abdominal cavity and punctured the non-vital, blood-filtering organ.

According to the regional government of Navarra, one American and two Spaniards were gored in the run, while another American and two Spaniards were also taken to city hospitals for other injuries suffered in falls and trampling during the event.

None of the six taken to the hospital was said to be in serious condition.

The San Fermin fiesta is held throughout Spain every year for nine days. Thousands of thrill-seekers race daily with the bulls along a 930-yard (850-meter) route from a holding pen to the city bull ring.

The nationally televised 8 a.m. runs are the highlight of the festival. The bulls that take part each morning are invariably killed by matadors at evening bull fights, and their meat is served up in the cityâ„¢s restaurants.

Many animal rights groups are opposed to the practice, saying tormenting and butchering animals for entertainment belongs to the dark ages.

Dozens of people are injured every year in the event. Since record-keeping began in 1924 the fighting bulls have killed 15 people in the “encierros,” as the runs are called in Spanish.

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Republished with permission from: Press TV