Thousands of people in Valencia, Spain, took to the streets over the weekend to demand the resignation of regional leader Carlos Mazón. The protests were sparked by the government’s handling of the recent catastrophic floods that claimed the lives of over 200 people and left many others missing.
The protestors gathered in front of Valencia’s city hall before making their way to the regional government’s headquarters. Some clashed with riot police, who used batons to disperse the crowd. Many demonstrators carried homemade signs calling for Mazón to step down, while others accused him of negligence, with messages like “You Killed Us!”.
Mazón, a member of the Popular Party, has come under fire for the delayed flood alerts issued by his administration. Critics also point to the slow and disorganized response to the natural disaster, with volunteers being the first to provide assistance in the hardest-hit areas. It took days for police reinforcements and soldiers to arrive, despite the regional government’s request for help from central authorities.
The regional governments in Spain are responsible for civil protection and can request additional resources from the national government in Madrid. Despite defending his actions by claiming that the scale of the disaster was unforeseeable, Mazón has been unable to appease the growing discontent among the public.
The Spanish weather agency had issued a red alert for bad weather early on the morning of the disaster, but the alerts to people’s cellphones were not sent out until hours later. The death toll currently stands at 220, with most of the victims from the Valencia region. The search for bodies continues, while thousands of people have been left homeless and the cleanup efforts are ongoing.
The aftermath of the floods has left streets covered in mud and debris, and the impact of the disaster is still being felt across the region. The residents of Valencia are demanding accountability and transparency from their leaders as they come to terms with the devastating loss caused by the floods.
