SUMMARY
Thousands of people threw overripe tomatoes at each other in a lively battle royale during the traditional Tomatina festival in Buñol, Spain, on August 28.
1 / 7The streets of a town in eastern Spain were dyed red on Wednesday as revelers pelted each other with overripe tomatoes in a spirited pitched battle during the traditional Tomatina festival. Some 22,000 participants dressed in white and splattered with tomato pulp took part in the frenzy that grips Buñol, 40 km (25 miles) west of Valencia, every year in the last week of August. (Image: Reuters)
2 / 7Seven trucks distributed 150 tonnes of ripe plum tomatoes to eager visitors, many of them visitors from abroad. Non-residents pay a fee of 15 euros ($16.70), while Bunol residents enjoy it for free. (Image: Reuters)
3 / 7“We love tomatoes so we decided to come and we had a great time,” said Taylor, who came from Australia, adding that she and her friends would “make some spaghetti to go with the sauce.” (Image: Reuters)
4 / 7The hour-long bout began with firecrackers being set off when one of the contenders managed to climb a slippery, soap-covered pole to grab a leg of ham hanging from the top. (Image: Reuters)
5 / 7After the fracas was over, a cleaning crew armed with hoses was sent to clear the debris from the city’s streets, which were left sparkling clean thanks to the natural acidity of the tomatoes. The fruits, grown specifically for the festival, are considered too acidic for human consumption. (Image: Reuters)
6 / 7According to the official Tomatina website, the festival originated during a brawl in 1945 when youths trying to get a closer look at a parade knocked down one of the participants. Several people plucked tomatoes from a nearby stand as improvised projectiles until police restored order. (Image: Reuters)
7 / 7The following year, young people recreated the altercation, with some even bringing their own tomatoes. The event was briefly banned in the 1950s during the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, but was resumed in 1959 with certain rules. (Image: Reuters)
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