Three men taking part in the Valencia region’s traditional bous al carrer or bull-running died within 24 hours after receiving their bull-inflicted injuries. The men’s identities have yet to be disclosed; however, their injuries and ages stood prominent as word circulated about the deadly day.
All three men participated in the Valencia region’s traditional bous al carrer. All three incidents happened in separate locations throughout Valencia. In the southern city of Valencia, Picassent, a 56-year-old man in the center of the roadway behind a block was thrown into the air by a bull and sustained a severe brain injury; he died on Tuesday. While in the Northern city of Valencia, the city of Meliana, a 50-year-old man got his lung pierced by a bull, leading to his death. The final incident reported was of a 64-year-old French visitor who died after receiving unspecified wounds in the city of Pedreguer.
The bous al carrer is an event that is on people’s bucket lists on a global scale. It is a typical bullfighting festival where wild cattle get released, driven, fought, or cut up without being fought. With the emergence of the tradition rooted back in the 17th century, many rights groups consider this cultural tradition as both abusive towards the cattle and carelessly dangerous for the people looking to participate in the events.
Local officials shrug off the losses by claiming attendees know of the dangers they’re enlisting themselves into when they join and surround themselves in the festivities. Josep Antoni Riera I Vicent, the mayor of Meliana, said, “the bull was an animal, and chance accidents of this type were a risk that people took.”
After putting a pause on the event due to the pandemic, Spain’s most famous festival, the San Fermin running of the bulls in Pamplona, owned a total of 35 injuries this year. With monthly magazine subscriptions and a culture-hungry population, the public greeted the reemergence of the bous al carrer with open arms as it signaled a paved path back to normalcy.
In recent years, goring events have grown common in bull-running. With a seemingly increased awareness of the potential violence inflicted on humans and animals, many opposers to the event are gathering in masses, trying to make their singular voices get heard. Organizations such as Spain’s party for the animals (Pacma) reiterated their request for the prohibition of bull celebrations. They criticized the organizers of the three festivities in Valencia for putting locals’ lives in danger and abusing animals.
The festival’s impact on the Spanish economy seems to outweigh the potential hazards that follow a bous al carrer. A 2019 study found that it created more than 3,000 jobs and brought in €300m with almost 10,000 events yearly.
