During a visit to flood-affected Valencia, the king and queen of Spain faced a barrage of mud and various objects hurled by angry protesters.
As the royal couple made their way through the town of Paiporta, one of the hardest-hit areas in the region, they were met with shouts of “murderer” and “shame” from the crowd.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez faced a chaotic scene as objects were hurled in his direction, prompting a swift evacuation.
Over 200 individuals lost their lives in the floods, marking the most devastating event of its kind in Spain in decades. Emergency workers are actively searching underground car parks and tunnels to locate survivors and recover bodies.
Following the floods, there has been significant outrage regarding what many see as inadequate warnings and a lack of sufficient support from authorities.
Video captured King Felipe VI navigating a pedestrian street when a sudden influx of protesters overwhelmed his bodyguards and police, unleashing a barrage of insults and shouts.
Efforts to uphold a protective barrier around the monarch faced challenges as several protesters hurled mud and various objects.
The king interacted with numerous individuals, even going so far as to embrace them.
Photographs captured the king, Queen Letizia, and their entourage covered in mud as they sheltered the monarch with umbrellas during their departure.
Prime Minister Sánchez and Valencian regional leader Carlos Mazón accompanied the royal couple during the visit. However, they were quickly evacuated as tensions in the crowd escalated.
Reports from Spanish media indicate that objects were thrown at Sánchez, with footage verified by the BBC seemingly capturing stones being hurled at his vehicle as he departed.
Following his departure, the audience chanted, “Where is Sánchez?”
“I’m just 16,”Jhon, a young boy, expressed to the TSN, his voice trembling with emotion. “We are assisting, yet the leaders remain inactive.” Fatalities continue to occur. The frustration has reached a breaking point.
One woman expressed her feelings, stating, “They left us to die.” “We have lost everything: our businesses, our homes, our dreams.”
Authorities, including the civil guard and mounted officers, were observed trying to disperse the agitated crowd.
The royal entourage planned to continue their journey to Chiva, a town in the Valencia province that has suffered significantly from the flooding; however, that visit has now been postponed.
In a video shared on the royal household’s Instagram account, the king expressed his understanding of the “anger and frustration” felt by the protestors.
Maribel Albalat, the mayor of Paiporta, expressed her shock to the TSN regarding the recent violence while also acknowledging the “frustration and desperation of the people.”
Juan Bordera, a representative in the Valencian parliament, criticized the king’s visit, labelling it “a terrible decision.”
Mr Bordera told that the authorities “didn’t listen to any warnings. Understandably, the public is upset; it makes sense that they are questioning the urgency of this visit,” he stated.
On Saturday, Sánchez ordered an additional 10,000 troops, police officers, and civil guards to be deployed to the region.
The deployment has been described as Spain’s most significant in peacetime. He acknowledged that the response was “insufficient” and recognized “severe problems and shortages.”
On Tuesday, a series of heavy rainfalls triggered the onset of flooding. Rapidly rising floodwaters led to the collapse of bridges and inundated towns with dense layers of mud.
Numerous communities found themselves isolated, needing access to essential resources such as water, food, electricity, and other fundamental services.
As of Sunday, the number of fatalities resulting from the flooding has reached 217, with numerous individuals still unaccounted for.
The majority of confirmed fatalities to date have occurred in the Valencia region along the Mediterranean coast.
Certain regions have experienced significant devastation. In Paiporta, where a royal delegation visited today, local authorities have confirmed a minimum of 62 fatalities.
On Sunday, Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET declared its highest level of alert for regions in southern Valencia, explicitly targeting the cities of Alzira, Cullera, and Gandia.
The agency has indicated that the intense storms predicted to move through the area will not reach the severity of those experienced on Tuesday, with an anticipated rainfall of 90mm (3.45 inches).
