Spain's Els Enfarinats festival: Flour and egg fight in Ibi to celebrate Day of the Innocents

Residents of the Spanish town of Ibi staged a mock military coup on Monday 28 December, pelting each other with flour and eggs, and letting off firecrackers and fire extinguishers. The battle was part of a festival held every year as part of celebrations of the Day of the Innocents in the village in the Valencia region.

In the 200-year old tradition, a group of married men called 'Els Enfarinats' (the Floured Ones) stage a revolution against the authorities, taking control of the village for the day, pronouncing a host of ridiculous laws and fining citizens who infringe them. Another group called 'La Oposicio' (the Opposition) tries to restore order. Any money raised through fines is donated to charitable causes. More than 1,500 eggs and hundreds of kilograms of flour are thrown in the annual battle.