More than 20,000 people have pelted each other in the street with tomatoes in this year’s “Tomatina” as the Spanish event celebrates its 70th birthday.
At the annual fiesta in the eastern town of Bunol on Wednesday, 175 tons of ripe tomatoes were offloaded from seven trucks into the crowd packing the streets for an hour-long battle.
The tomato fight leaves the participants and the town’s streets awash with red pulp. The town is hosed down minutes after the event ends at noon, while participants can use public showers.
The paid-entry event was inspired by a food fight between local children in 1945 in the tomato-producing region.
Reflecting its worldwide popularity, Google dedicated its search engine doodle to the fiesta.
Click on any image below to launch the gallery.
Crowds of people throw tomatoes at each other during the annual “tomatina” tomato fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
A woman throws a tomato during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Crowds of people throw tomatoes at each other, during the annual “tomatina” tomato fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers from Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Two woman lie in a puddle of squashed tomatoes during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
The tomato-covered camera lens blurs participants hurling tomatoes, during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Two men lie in a puddle of squashed tomatoes, during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Crowds of people throw tomatoes at each other, during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Two woman have their photo taken as they pose in a puddle of squashed tomatoes during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Crowds of people throw tomatoes at each other during the annual “tomatina” tomato fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
A man lies in a puddle of squashed tomatoes, during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
People lie in a puddle of squashed tomatoes, during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Crowds of people throw tomatoes at each other, during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Crowds of people throw tomatoes at each other during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Crowds of people throw tomatoes at each other, during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
People sit and lie on the ground during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol, 50 kilometers outside Valencia, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
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