Tommy Lee has called for a ban on Pamplona’s Running Of The Bulls.
The former Motley Crue rocker has insisted that there is no glory in antagonising the animals for entertainment purposes ahead of the Spanish festival that is taking place this week and will likely attract 1.5 million visitors to the city.
In an open letter to The Independent newspaper, he said: "I’m no stranger to wild behaviour – but there’s one thing that even I wouldn’t do and that’s running ‘with’ the bulls in Pamplona. That can f**k right off.
"While there may be guts – from the runners who are gored – there certainly isn’t any glory in trying to stay a few steps ahead of frightened, confused bulls … It’s truly more twisted than anything I could have imagined, even during my wildest days with Motley Crue."
Also known as the festival of San Fermin, the event sees bulls and steers charge down the narrow streets of the historic city while ‘runners’ attempt to evade the horned beasts but Tommy – whose ex-wife Pamela Anderson is a PETA activist – said they are mistreated in the hours before the race in order to get the bulls riled up and frightened.
He explained: "In the lead-up to the event, the animals are held in dark enclosures before being forced out – usually with an electric shock prod – into the jeering, drunken crowd.
"As they are momentarily blinded by the sunlight and struggle to take in their surroundings, men hit them with sticks and rolled-up newspapers. "The panicked animals take off running down the city’s slippery cobblestone streets, often losing their footing and slamming into walls – or spectators – in their desperate attempt to flee the chaos."
And Tommy thinks it’s not only cruel but it is an example of humankind’s less intelligent side.
He said: "This isn’t a test of nerve and resolve. It’s a pathetic display of human idiocy and cruelty."
Tommy Lee slams Pamplona’s Running Of The Bulls
