VALENCIA, Spain — On Saturday, a significant number of Spaniards gathered in Valencia to call for the resignation of the regional president responsible for managing the emergency response to the devastating floods that occurred last week, which resulted in over 200 fatalities and numerous individuals still unaccounted for.
Some of the demonstrators encountered confrontations with riot police outside the city hall in Valencia, where the march initially commenced before proceeding towards the regional government headquarters. Law enforcement utilized batons to disperse the crowd
Regional chief Carlos Mazón is facing mounting criticism due to his administration’s failure to issue timely flood warnings to residents’ cellphones until several hours after the deluge began late on October 29. Many participants in the protest displayed homemade placards and vocally expressed their disdain with chants of “Mazón Resign!” while others brandished signs proclaiming “You Killed Us!”
Mazón, who represents the conservative Popular Party, is facing backlash related to the perceived lack of urgency and effectiveness in responding to the calamity. In several of the worst-affected regions on the outskirts of Valencia, it was primarily local volunteers who first rushed to help, while it took officials several days to coordinate the arrival of additional police and military personnel requested from central authorities.
In Spain, the responsibility for civil protection lies with regional governments, which can appeal to the national government in Madrid, currently led by the Socialists, for additional assistance.
The regional leader has defended his actions, arguing that the scale of the disaster was unexpected and that his administration did not receive adequate warnings from national authorities.
However, Spain’s weather agency had issued a red alert for severe weather conditions as early as 7:30 a.m. on the Tuesday prior to the flooding, indicating a grave situation was approaching.
By 6 p.m. that day, several communities were already experiencing significant flooding. Mazón’s administration only began sending alerts to mobile devices after 8 p.m.
The confirmed death toll has reached 220 on Saturday, with the majority, 212, occurring in the Valencia region as search efforts continue. A multitude of individuals have lost their homes, and streets remain thick with mud and debris nearly two weeks after a massive wave struck following record rainfall.