By ALICIA LEÓN Associated Press
BUÑOL, Spain (AP) — Thousands of people from around the world seeking a uniquely messy thrill spent one wild hour flinging bushels of overripe tomatoes at each other during Spain’s “Tomatina” celebration Wednesday.
The mother of all food fights painted a packed central street in the eastern town of Buñol deep red as revelers squished, smashed and hurled 120 tons of the overripe fruit. Tarps covered building fronts as an estimated 20,000 people let loose amid screams and laughter.
Every article of clothing and pretty much every inch of bare skin and hair ended up covered in a pulpy mush, with many wearing white shirts that quickly were stained pink. Thumping music gave the event the vibe of a rave. Organizers wearing green shirts slowly opened a path for trucks loaded with the tomatoes to bring in the ammunition.
Buñol, with a population of around 10,000, was one of the towns affected by devastating floods in eastern Spain beginning Oct. 29, 2024. That is why this year’s slogan is “Tomaterapia,” or “Tomato Therapy” in English.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the tomato tossing that party lore says began in 1945 for local children. Since then “Tomatina” has grown to an eye-catching event that now draws a significant international crowd and only has been skipped twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amid the collective abandon, a left-wing political party backed an initiative by local residents to fly Palestinian flags and a banner against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza during this year’s “Tomatina.”
The only guideline during the free-for-all is to squash each tomato before throwing to reduce its impact. Even so, some participants opt to wear protective goggles and earplugs.
For those worried about the waste, organizers say the tomatoes are grown specifically for the “Tomatina” and not edible anyway. Organizers say that the tomatoes used in the party don’t meet the quality control standards for human consumption. They say if there were not used in the “Tomatina” they would be thrown away. This year’s supply hails from a town over five hours away.
A cannon shot told participants the battle is over. As their adrenaline drained, revelers used communal showers to clean up while workers hosed the crimson slurry off the streets.
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Joseph Wilson contributed to this report from Barcelona, Spain.