Mass protests erupt in Valencia over flood mismanagement

Protesters accuse regional leaders of negligence, sparking demands for accountability and resignation

VALENCIA, SPAIN:

Tens of thousands protested in Valencia, Spain on Saturday, criticising the regional authorities’ response to devastating floods that claimed over 220 lives, marking one of Europe’s deadliest natural disasters in recent decades.

Demonstrators, who packed Valencia's city centre, called for the resignation of regional leader Carlos Mazon, chanting “Killers!”

Banners carried messages like “Our hands are stained with mud, yours with blood,” and some protesters left muddy boots outside the government building, while others smeared it with mud.

Mazon has been criticised for issuing a flood alert late in the day on 29 October, after water had already inundated numerous towns and villages in the area. He responded by saying he would have acted sooner if the official water monitoring body had raised the alarm about the severity of the situation earlier. Mazon did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Anna Oliver, president of Accio Cultural del Pais Valenciano, one of the roughly 30 organisations behind the protest, stated, “We want to express our indignation and anger over the mismanagement of this disaster, which has affected so many.” Although largely peaceful, police intervened when some demonstrators threw stones, causing minor damage to the city council building.

The national weather service had issued storm warnings as early as 25 October. Some local authorities responded quickly: on 28 October, Valencia University advised staff to stay home, and various town halls suspended activities, closed public spaces, and urged residents to remain indoors.

On the morning of 29 October, AEMET, the weather service, raised its alert level to red for heavy rains in the area at 7:36 a.m.

This disaster, which has left nearly 80 people missing, is the deadliest in a European country since floods in Portugal in 1967, which resulted in approximately 500 fatalities.