Valencia, Spain: A large number of people have taken to the streets in Valencia, protesting the authorities’ response to the recent deadly floods and calling for the resignation of regional leader Carlos Mazón.
Over 130,000 people flooded the streets of Valencia, protesting the authorities’ handling of the recent deadly floods. Demonstrators chanted, “We are stained with mud; you are stained with blood.”
More than 200 people lost their lives in the flooding that struck Valencia and surrounding provinces in October, caused by torrential rains. As of now, 80 people remain missing.
Protesters are accusing local authorities of issuing flood warnings too late, with reports of chairs and other objects being thrown at Valencia City Hall.
Angry protesters clashed with police towards the end of the demonstrations. Photos show the building covered in mud, while Mayor María José Catalá condemned the violence, posting images of broken windows and a video of a fire on social media, calling it “vandalism.”
The Valencia City Council also condemned the acts, stating the city itself had been affected by the floods. Protest organizer Anna Oliver said that the protests were meant to express outrage over the poor management of the disaster.
Last week, Spain’s king and queen faced similar protests in Paiporta, one of the hardest-hit towns, with objects thrown at them, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was evacuated after being pelted with items. Thousands have lost their homes, and many areas remain buried under mud and debris.
In Spain, regional governments are responsible for managing disasters, though they can request extra resources from the central government.
Carlos Mazón, leader of the conservative Popular Party, has defended his handling of the crisis, claiming that his officials did not receive enough warnings from the central government and that the scale of the disaster was unpredictable.
While Spain’s weather agency issued storm warnings on 25 October, the Valencian authorities did not alert locals via mobile phones until hours after the flooding began.
The local councillor responsible for emergencies later admitted she was unaware of the phone alert system.
Reports also state that Mazón attended a lunch with a journalist instead of joining an emergency coordination meeting until 7:00 p.m. local time. However, government sources have called this “irrelevant,” stating that Mazón was kept informed of the situation.
The floods were caused by a Dana phenomenon, which occurs when warm, moist air meets cold air, creating unstable weather conditions. Scientists have noted that climate change exacerbated the severity of the floods.
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