Bullfighting Is A Sin: Jesus Dressed Activist Sparks Pamplona Clash Before San Fermín Festival

Just days before Pamplona plunges into its annual blood soaked spectacle, animal rights activists decided to bring in some divine intervention, quite literally. An activist dressed as Jesus stood alongside dozens of protesters from PETA and AnimaNaturalis outside Pamplona's City Hall, holding signs that read "Bullfighting Is A Sin," a pointed jab aimed squarely at the Catholic roots of a festival that continues to glorify the slow, public killing of animals.

The demonstration took place on July 5, ahead of the world famous San Fermín festival , which kicks off with the traditional Chupinazo rocket launch and runs until July 14. Alongside the Running of the Bulls, the nine day event includes 60 separate bullfights in which bulls are stabbed with lances and banderillas before being finished off by a matador's sword, a ritual PETA argues has no business being tied to a saint's celebration.

PETA UK Senior Vice President Mimi Bekhechi did not hold back, stating that the bullfighting industry is exploiting Catholic faith to legitimise cruelty, adding that Church doctrine explicitly condemns the torture of animals even as tens of thousands of bulls are killed each year at festivals held in saints' honour. The protest also revived a rather inconvenient piece of history for organisers, Pope Pius V once formally condemned bullfighting back in 1567, branding it a shameful spectacle fit for demons and threatening excommunication for anyone involved, a papal opinion that has clearly not aged out of relevance.

What makes the timing particularly awkward for defenders of the tradition is the data. According to a BBVA Foundation study , 77 percent of Spaniards now want bullfighting abolished, with public approval sitting at a dismal 1.8 out of 10, especially among younger generations. Spain's own Ministry of Culture figures show barely 5.8 percent of citizens have ever even attended a bullfight, meaning the so-called tradition survives largely on tourism dollars rather than genuine domestic enthusiasm. More than 125 Spanish towns have already declared themselves opposed to bullfighting altogether, and Pamplona's City Council has now launched its own citizen survey asking residents directly how they feel about it.

Despite the protest, the festival is set to proceed exactly as planned, bulls, matadors, crowds and all, proving once again that centuries old tradition tends to move a lot slower than public opinion.