A packed central street in Buñol turned deep red as revellers squished, smashed and hurled 120 tons of overripe tomatoes with an estimated 20,000 participants. Every article of clothing and nearly every inch of skin and hair was covered in pulpy mush, and many wearing white shirts were quickly stained pink. Organizers in green shirts opened paths for trucks delivering the tomatoes. Buñol, population around 10,000, suffered devastating floods beginning Oct. 29, 2024, so the slogan was "Tomaterapia" (Tomato Therapy). The event marked its 80th anniversary and now draws international crowds. A left-wing party backed flying Palestinian flags and a banner against Israel. The only guideline was to squash each tomato before throwing; some participants wore goggles and earplugs. Organizers said the tomatoes are not edible, fail quality standards, would otherwise be thrown away, and came from a town over five hours away.
The mother of all food fights painted a packed central street in the eastern town of Buñol deep red as revellers 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.
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.
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