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Spain’s King and Queen Pelted With Mud During Visit To Flood-Hit Valencia
Later, King Felipe and Queen Letizia were seen comforting audience members, their faces and clothing covered in dirt. The floods, the worst to hit Spain in decades, claimed the lives of over 200 people. To locate survivors and recover the dead, emergency personnel are still searching tunnels and underground parking lots.
Anger has been directed at officials’ alleged lack of notice and inadequate assistance following the floods. The monarch was seen on camera walking along a pedestrian street before a crowd of demonstrators rushed past his police and bodyguards, shouting and hurling obscenities. Some of the demonstrators flung objects and mud, making it difficult for them to keep a protective circle around the monarch. The king interacted with a number of them, even holding them in his arms. Pictures showed the king, queen, and their entourage holding umbrellas over the monarch as they left, their faces and clothing covered in mud. Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, and Carlos Mazón, the leader of the regional government of Valencia, accompanied the royal couple on their visit but were quickly removed when the crowd became more antagonistic.
According to Spanish media, Sánchez was being thrown stones at his car, as he was being taken away. The audience chanted, “Where is Sánchez?” after he left.
One teenager, Pau, sobbed as he spoke to reporters, “I’m only sixteen.” “We are assisting, but the leaders are doing nothing. Deaths are continuously occurring. This is getting to be too much for me.
“They left us to die,” remarked another woman. Everything has been lost, including our houses, businesses, and hopes.”
Later, it was observed that the civil guard and mounted officers were trying to calm the irate mob. The visit has been postponed. The royal party had planned to continue to Chiva, another town in the Valencia area that was severely affected by the water.
In an Instagram video shared by the royal household, the monarch subsequently claimed to understand the “anger and frustration” of the demonstrators.
Maribel Albalat, the mayor of Paiporta, said that while she was horrified by the violence, she could sympathize with “the frustration and desperation of the people.”
“A very bad decision” is how one Valencian parliamentarian, Juan Bordera, described the king’s visit.
Bordera said that authorities “didn’t listen to any warnings.” “It makes sense that people are upset and that they didn’t comprehend the urgency of this visit,” he continued. 10,000 additional troops, police officers, and civil guards were dispatched to the area by Sánchez on Saturday. The deployment was the biggest in peacetime for Spain, he claimed.
However, he admitted “severe problems and shortages” and said he was aware the reaction was “not enough”. After a period of heavy rain, the flooding started on Tuesday.
Bridges collapsed rapidly due to floodwaters, and villages were immediately covered in thick muck. Water, food, electricity, and other essential utilities were cut off in many areas. The number of those killed by the flooding increased to 217 on Sunday, and many more are thought to be missing.
Nearly every confirmed death to date has occurred in the Valencia region on the Mediterranean coast. Particularly decimated are some regions. At least 62 people have been killed, according to authorities in Paiporta, the town the royal entourage visited today.
Gentle Reminder: Be careful how you use your authority and influence, be wise, and treat others with respect.
Chychy Jonas
