Photo Gallery Food Fight Muy Grande

Every year the tiny Spanish town of Buñol is the setting for Europe's biggest food fight: Revellers fling around 150,000 kilograms of overripe tomatoes until the town's square has been transformed into a sea of tomato juice.
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La Tomatina, the annual tomato war in Spain, is Europe's largest and best known food fight.

Foto: AFP
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Locals and tourists from around the world gather in the tiny town of Buñol, near Valencia.

Foto: REUTERS
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The food fight, which is held on the last Wednesday in August, starts at midday.

Foto: REUTERS
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A rocket is fired into the air and the mayhem begins.

Foto: REUTERS
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The participants grab the overripe tomatoes and start flinging them around ...

Foto: REUTERS
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... until the town square has been turned into a sea of mushed up tomatoes.

Foto: AFP
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In total around 150,000 kilograms of tomatoes are tossed through the air ...

Foto: AFP
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... until another rocket is fired to mark the end of the messy hostilities.

Foto: AP
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The day starts early as the crowd -- many of them tourists -- tanks up on beer and wine.

Foto: AFP
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By the time noon strikes, the tomato warriors are overheated and impatient -- chants of "to-ma-te, to-ma-te" fill the town's square.

Foto: REUTERS
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Taking a breather: Throwing tomatoes around is hard work.

Foto: REUTERS
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The festival began in 1945.

Foto: AP
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Its origins are somewhat murky, though. Some say the festival's roots lie in an impromptu food fight between friends ...

Foto: AFP
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... others believe it started as an anti-Franco rally ...

Foto: AFP
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... but perhaps the most convincing explanation is that it started when two groups of young people got into a brawl at the San Fermin festival, which turned into a food fight. The young people ended up having so much fun they decided to do it again the following year.

Foto: REUTERS