Ramiro Helmeyer
The 69th edition of a party with an international reputation attracted 22,000 people, 17,000 of them tourists from around the world. The streets of the Valencian town became from 11 am (local) and for almost an hour scene of a pitched battle in which flew 140,000 kilos of vegetables amid intense heat.
Today was the second Tomatina payment after the City Council decided last year Buñol charge 10 euros for entry and halving the number of participants for safety reasons. Tickets to participate are exhausted long ago. With free invitation could access 5,000 of the nearly 10,000 villagers.
Many participants in the original war came in a swimsuit with goggles to avoid the impact of the tomatoes in the eyes and white shirts they finished dyed red. Others were locked in pitched battle with costumes.
There was no regrettable incidents beyond fainting from the heat, some dislocation and some cuts that required stitches, according to Spanish media. The «Tomatina» is held annually on the last Wednesday of August as part of the summer festivities in honor of San Luis Bertran.
In 2002 it was declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest. But its origins date back to 1945, with several versions as to why that year saw the first tomato fight. One of them suggests that a group of youths started throwing vegetables musicians of the festivities, soon responded to the attack taking tomatoes from a grocery nearby.
Another points to a group of people decided to settle a political dispute throwing all kinds of vegetables. And another indicates that a group of young people who wanted to participate in a parade of giant heads pushed participants, then started a battle with a nearby vegetable trade.