The streets of Pamplona provide the backdrop for a festival with a nearly mythical reputation. However, of late, that reputation has been tarnished.

Fiesta de San Fermín originated as a week­long celebration to honor Saint Fermin and actually blends three fiestas: the feast day of San Fermín, an ancient trade fair, and a bullfighting festival. Saint Fermín was said to have been dragged to death by bulls on the very same streets of Pamplona, hence the famous bull run.

The run itself is a half-mile course down a narrow cobblestone road that leads through the town to the bullring. Runners ask Saint Fermín for protection and make a daring dash to the ring.

After the run, the tradition of bullfighting takes place, which is not for everyone, especially animal rights activists like PETA. In recent years, animal rights groups have voiced public opinion against this event, standing in protest in the streets of Pamplona and citing the tradition of bullfighting and the taunting of the bulls as cruelty to animals. There’s even a Running of the Nudes jog each year as a way to increase awareness of the bulls’ plight.

To that end, we'd like to share with you images not of the bull run or the bullfighting, but of the protest. What are your thoughts on this festival? Time-honored tradition, or animal cruelty?

All photos by Nick Gammon