Grief and anger after Spain floods – tens of thousands protest

A mixture of anger, sadness and despair brought about 130,000 people to the streets of Spain's Mediterranean metropolis of Valencia, according to authorities. A week and a half after the so-called “storm of the century” has killed at least 222 people, according to the latest official figures, they staged protests in the city center on Saturday night over what they saw as slow progress in aid and warned that people's mobile phones were coming. It's too late.

Demonstrators also called for the resignation of regional president Carlos Masson. During the march to government buildings, they chanted slogans such as “Murderer, murderer” and “Resign, resign.”

Some held posters with slogans such as “Masson goes to jail!” or “Justice!”. After a minute's silence for the more than 200 people killed in the disaster, most of them in the Valencia region, several leaders read a declaration in front of the government palace calling for clarity on responsibility for “avoidable consequences”. disaster” and demanded the removal of the region's “incompetent government.” Sixty-five organizations, including citizens' initiatives and trade unions, called for demonstrations to be held at short notice.

Clash with police

Clashes broke out after the rally, as shown in a video on the Las Provinicias newspaper's website. Radical groups ran after peaceful demonstrations before throwing rocks, bottles and burning containers at police, the newspaper reported. Some people also tried to storm into the government building and set fire in front of the main entrance. As a result, four people were arrested. According to media reports, demonstrators threw mud at the building, left muddy handprints on the building's exterior, and painted insults to the regional president on the building's exterior.

Regional president said to have issued storm warning too late

Mazón is accused, among other things, of warnings issued by the weather service Aemet on the morning of October 29 only to be sent as alerts to people's mobile phones at night. By then the rivers were overflowing and devastating floods had begun.

He now told local radio station À Punt that it initially looked like a normal storm that often occurs in the Mediterranean. “At seven o'clock in the evening, when the river burst its banks, everything changed.” Just after 8 o'clock in the evening, residents in the Valencia region received a government alert on their mobile phones.

Masson also stressed that clarifying responsibility now makes no sense. Now it's about recovery and rebuilding, “which comes with a lot of pain.” Adding to this disaster is the politically explosive fact that Masson belongs to the opposition Popular Party (PP), the Socialist Party that leads Spain's government coalition.

The king wants to visit the disaster area again

King Felipe VI of Spain defied ongoing discontent. He will visit the disaster-stricken area again on Tuesday following the unrest during his first visit to Valencia. As announced by the royal family, his wife Queen Letizia is not accompanying him this time. On Sunday, two people were thrown with mud and insulted in Piporta, near the metropolitan Valencia.

Madrid's Casa Real said the 56-year-old monarch wanted to oversee the salvage and clean-up efforts that are still underway. Some 8,500 military personnel and 10,000 police officers from the national police force and National Guard are deployed in approximately 80 affected communities. Many buildings there remain inaccessible or difficult to access, as some entrances are still blocked by wrecked cars and household items.

The number of missing people is slowly decreasing

Heavy rainfall, landslides and floods a week and a half ago claimed at least 222 lives, according to the latest official figures. In Valencia alone, 214 bodies were found. Eight people died in the neighboring regions of Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia. The official number of missing people in Valencia has now been reduced from 50 to 41. It is said that it should be taken into account that 19 bodies have yet to be identified.

'Pirates of the Caribbean' star encourages victims

Meanwhile, Hollywood star Johnny Depp also pledged his support. The 61-year-old “Pirates of the Caribbean” star said on the sidelines of the European Film Festival in Seville that he wanted to see how far he could help “in any form.” Depp encouraged flood victims and said his “hearts are with those affected.” He also highlighted the “resilience shown by the Spanish people in such events”.

On October 29, in just a few hours, some towns received their first rain in more than a year. For several days, the flooded areas have seen sunny days again. (Sudanese Development Authority/Department of Political Affairs)

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