Thousands of revelers descended on the Spanish town of Buñol for the annual La Tomatina food fight, hurling up to 165 tons of overripe tomatoes as loaded trucks moved through the crowd. Participants standing in cargo beds threw tomatoes at attendees, turning white shirts pink and red while pop songs played from speakers. According to AP News, police appeared to use pepper spray to disperse a section of the crowd at one point, though a festive atmosphere quickly returned.
Gen. Francisco Franco banned La Tomatina
The messy melee lasted for over an hour, with buildings in the town covered in tarps beforehand. Held on the last Wednesday of August, the festival traces its roots back to 1945. It became an annual tradition before being banned by Spanish dictator Gen. Francisco Franco in the 1950s, later returning to become a national event and an international attraction following televised media attention in the 1980s. More than 20,000 people were expected to participate, with the Spanish news agency EFE reporting that roughly 40% of participants over the previous three years were international tourists.
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara inspired visitors from India
A notable number of visitors have arrived from India in recent years following the 2011 Bollywood movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, which recreated the event. Among the attendees drawn by the film was Romail Khokhar, a 27-year-old from Mumbai participating for his third time, who said, I feel really great, actually. It’s the best festival that I ever had, and I enjoy a lot here.
Mazhar and Sanya Khan, both 40, and Joanna Wytrzyszczewska, 32, from Poland, were also inspired to attend by the movie.
Participants must squash their tomatoes
Non-local attendees pay $17.50 for a ticket to the event, which features a single rule: participants must squash their tomatoes before throwing them to prevent injuries. Many attendees wear swimming goggles and earplugs for protection. A cannon blast signals the end of the hour-long festivities, after which crowds wash off at nearby communal showers, streets are hosed down, and the tomatoes’ citric acid acts as a cleaning agent.
