MADRID — Five men who were found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at the July 2016 running of the bulls festival in Pamplona, Spain, were released on bail on Thursday, setting off protests by women in several Spanish cities.

In the case, seen as a landmark for women’s rights in Spain, a regional court panel of three judges ruled 2 to 1 that the men be released on bail of 6,000 euros, or nearly $7,000, pending the appeal of an April ruling in which they were sentenced to nine years in prison for “continuous sexual abuse.” Prosecutors, seeking a conviction for rape and other charges, had sought sentences of nearly 23 years for the men.

Shortly after the judges’ decision was announced on Thursday, women took to the streets of Pamplona and other Spanish cities, holding banners that read “Enough patriarchal justice” and “No is no — anything else is rape.” Women’s groups said they planned more protests on Friday.

Mass protests across Spain also followed the earlier court decision not to convict the men of rape. Under the criminal code, rape must involve violence or intimidation. The judges ruled that there was not sufficient evidence of violence or intimidation, and they noted what they said was the passivity of the victim during the assault.