Every year, the Festival of San Fermin attracts thousands of visitors to Pamplona, Spain. Over the course of nine days, the festival hosts many bullfights, a carnival, fireworks, and of course, the encierro, or "running of the bulls." Held since 1591, San Fermin remains a popular, if also dangerous and controversial event: Several people have been gored already this year, and the festival continues until July 14th. Collected below are some scenes from the first few days of this 2011's Festival of San Fermin.
The Running of the Bulls
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Chilean Alonso Ceardi poses with a picture that shows when he was severely gored during the running of the bulls at the 2010 San Fermin Festival in Pamplona. Ceardi nearly died from the goring, but said he would run again at this year's festival. #
Reuters/Eloy Alonso -
Attendees hold up traditional red scarves as tens of thousands of people packed Pamplona's main square in Spain, on July 6, 2011 to celebrate the start of Spain's most famous bull-running festival with the annual launch of the "chupinazo" rocket. #
AP Photo/Ivan Aguinaga -
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A man lies injures on the ground after leaping from the Navarre, a fountain in Pamplona, Spain Wednesday July 6, 2011 at the start of Spain's most famous bull-running festival. The man was not caught by other revelers and fell directly to the ground seriously injuring himself. At the time of the photograph, there were no further details on his condition. #
AP Photo/Ivan Aguinaga -
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A "Kiliki" tries to calm down a frightened boy during San Fermin Festival's "Comparsa de gigantes y cabezudos" (Parade of the giants and the big heads) in Pamplona, on July 8, 2011. Enormous puppets accompanied by brass bands parade daily through the city during the nine-day-long festival made popular by U.S. writer Ernest Hemingway. #
Reuters/Susana Vera -
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Festival goers run on the Estafeta corner ahead of Jose Cebada Gago ranch bulls during the second running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival on Friday July 8, 2011. #
AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos -
A photographer prepares his camera on the famous Estafeta Corner before the start of the second running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival on Friday July 8, 2011. #
AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos -
Revelers run on the Estafeta corner as one bull falls during the second running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona northern Spain, Friday July 8, 2011. #
AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos -
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Spanish novillero bullfighter Jimenez Fortes falls in front of the horns of a bull during a bullfight in Pamplona, Spain, on Tuesday, July 5, 2011. Fortes fell in front of the bull and managed to roll over to avoid the horns, lucky to be unhurt in the incident. Novilleros, is the stage prior to becoming a 'matador' where bullfights are performed with young bulls. #
AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza -
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