Pro-Palestinian Activists Hijack Opening of Spain’s San Fermín Festival | WATCH
Pro-Palestinian activists disrupted the San Fermín Festival’s opening in Pamplona by shouting anti-Israel slogans, sparking accusations of antisemitism and Hamas propaganda. The incident, backed by the city’s mayor, reflects a broader trend of celebrities endorsing pro-Palestinian causes without addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s full context.
Yesterday, the opening of Pamplona’s iconic San Fermín Festival, renowned for its thrilling bull runs, was overshadowed by pro-Palestinian activists who disrupted the traditional “Chupinazo” ceremony. The nine-day festival, drawing over a million visitors to Navarra’s capital, began with a firework blast from the city hall balcony at noon, followed by the customary cry of “Viva San Fermín!” However, three representatives from the Yala Nafarroa con Palestina platform, selected through a public vote garnering 10,594 of 20,045 ballots, broke centuries-old protocol. After the traditional greeting, they shouted, “Stop genocide. Free Palestine!” and “Viva Palestina libre!” to tens of thousands in the Plaza Consistorial and millions watching globally. The activists, wearing Palestinian keffiyehs over traditional white festival attire with red sashes, waved Palestinian flags, with banners visible throughout the crowd.
Mayor Joseba Asiron, of the pro-independence EH Bildu party, endorsed the group’s selection, stating, “Pamplona is not alien to that reality and this solidarity rocket is a reflection of our city’s commitment to human rights.” The move sparked outrage among critics who argue it reflects a growing trend of antisemitism, with celebrities and public figures embracing pro-Palestinian rhetoric without addressing Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis and abducted 251. Posts on X condemned the act as “imbecilic,” accusing activists of spreading Hamas propaganda while ignoring the conflict’s complexities, including Gaza’s disputed reports of 57,000 deaths as well as Hamas threats against aid distribution to civilians.
The festival, immortalized by Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises,” saw injuries during the first bull run on July 7, with six hospitalizations reported, though none confirmed as gorings. The controversy highlights a broader surge in anti-Semitic incidents, up 60% globally since 2023, fueled by figures like singers and actors who parrot trendy narratives without scrutinizing Hamas’s actions or Israel’s security concerns.