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Residents affected by the massive floods that swept the city of Valencia and its suburbs protested against a visit King Felipe His wife, Queen Letizia, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez threw mud at the delegation and chanted, “Murderers, murderers.”
The protesters expressed their anger at what they considered to be a delay on the part of the authorities in sending warnings about the dangers of the floods that struck the region last Tuesday, and then the late response by emergency services.
Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were hit in the face with mud during a visit to the flood-ravaged Valencia region. pic.twitter.com/XfSPj8RhIM
— DW News (@dwnews) November 3, 2024
The bodyguards opened umbrellas in an attempt to protect the king and his wife. One of the young men told the king, who insisted on staying to talk to the residents despite the unrest, “The matter was known and no one did anything to avoid it.”
During the king’s visit to the affected suburb of Bayburta, a person was seen crying on his shoulder. Video footage showed the Queen also crying while hugging some residents. Her hair and face were smeared with mud, and one of her bodyguards had blood on his face, apparently from something being thrown at him.
The central government says that sending warnings to the population is the responsibility of the regional authorities, while the authorities in Valencia confirm that they acted in the best possible way according to the information that was available to them.
‼️🔴Queen Letizia has had to leave the entourage during the visit to Paiporta of the kings and the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez and the Valencian President, Carlos Mazón.
➡️@aragontv He has thus captured the moment. pic.twitter.com/MQNpOXbFvo
— Aragon News (@AragonNoticias_) November 3, 2024
The Prime Minister quickly withdrew from the site of the protests, and later wrote on social media, “We share the suffering of the citizens, we know their needs, and we have clear priorities to save lives, recover the bodies of those who died, and rebuild the areas affected by Hurricane Dana. The violence practiced by the few will not distract us from the collective interest.” It is time to look forward and continue working with all necessary means and coordination to overcome this emergency together.”
Sanchez had confirmed yesterday, Saturday, that an investigation would be opened into any possible negligence at a later time. In the face of the chaotic situation, he announced the sending of 5,000 additional soldiers to the region, bringing their total number to 7,500, which is “the largest deployment of armed forces ever undertaken in Spain in peacetime.”
The number of deaths as a result of the worst floods the country has witnessed in its modern history rose to 217 people on Sunday, most of them in Valencia and more than 60 of them in the Bayporta suburb alone.
The authorities expect the number of victims to rise as car debris accumulates in tunnels and underground parking lots in the most affected areas. The exact number of missing persons is still unknown at this stage.
Residents also face a complex situation due to damage to electricity, transportation and communications infrastructure.
The police announced the arrest of about 20 additional people on Saturday evening due to acts of theft and looting, crimes condemned by the authorities who promised to restore order.
Scientists say that “extreme” weather phenomena are increasing in Europe and elsewhere due to climate change. Meteorologists believe that the rise in the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea, which increases water evaporation, plays a major role in increasing the intensity of rain.
