Thousands Join Spain’s 80th Anniversary La Tomatina Food Fight

Thousands of people gathered in Buñol, Spain, for the annual Tomatina festival, a famous tomato food fight that lasted about an hour and involved throwing 120 tons of overripe tomatoes. This year marked the 80th anniversary of the event, which started in 1945 as a local children's food fight and has grown into a major international celebration, drawing around 20,000 participants. The festival featured the theme "Tomaterapia" or "Tomato Therapy" as a symbolic recovery following devastating floods in eastern Spain in late 2024. Participants covered in tomato pulp danced to music, with organizers ensuring safety by requiring tomatoes to be squashed before throwing and some wearing protective gear. Political expressions were present, with a left-wing party supporting the display of Palestinian flags and a banner opposing Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Organizers emphasized that the tomatoes used are specifically grown for the festival and are not suitable for consumption, addressing concerns about food waste.