Thousands of people take part in a tomato fight festival in Spain

Thousands of people took part in a tomato fight in Spain.

The traditional La Tomatina festival took place in the eastern Spanish town of Bunol. More than 20,000 people took part in a "tomato fight" in the streets.

During the festival, trucks delivered 165 tons of tomatoes to the city's narrow streets. The fight lasted about an hour, most of the participants wore white T-shirts, and their clothes were painted pink and red. Buildings were covered with protective covers before the event, and police officers were deployed to ensure security.

Held annually on the last Wednesday of August, the La Tomatina festival began in 1945 as a local food fight and has since become one of Spain's most popular summer events. In recent years, about 40 percent of the participants have been foreign tourists. Especially after the release of the 2011 film "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", which depicts La Tomatina, the number of tourists from India has increased significantly.

The main rule of the festival is to crush the tomato before throwing it at another participant. This is to prevent injuries. Some participants use special glasses and earplugs to protect their eyes and ears. After one hour, the sound of a cannon signals the end of the festival, after which participants wash themselves in special places, and the city streets are cleaned with water.