Tens of Thousands Rally in Valencia Demanding Accountability for Deadly Floods

Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Valencia on Saturday evening, demanding the resignation of regional head Carlos Mazón in response to the catastrophic flooding that claimed more than 200 lives and left many missing.

The protests, marked by chants such as "we are stained with mud, you are stained with blood," saw citizens expressing their outrage over the local authorities' alleged negligence in managing the disaster. The torrential rains that struck Valencia and neighboring provinces in October resulted in widespread devastation with around 80 individuals still unaccounted for.

Anna Oliver, a key organizer of the protest, shared her sentiments with Reuters, saying, "We want to show our indignation and anger over the poor management of this disaster which has affected so many people." The protests followed recent events where the king and queen of Spain, as well as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, faced backlash from angry crowds during visits to the most impacted areas, including the town of Paiporta.

Numerous residents have been left homeless, as many locations remain entangled in mud and debris. In a defense of his administration, Mazón, a member of the conservative Popular Party, stated that his officials had not received adequate warnings from the central government regarding the impending disaster, labeling the scale of the flooding as unforeseeable.

Local authorities bear the responsibility for disaster response in Spain and can request additional support from the national government when necessary. Spain's weather agency had issued storm warnings starting on October 25; however, the Valencian government delayed sending alerts to residents' mobile phones until hours after the flooding had already commenced.

The local emergencies councillor has since admitted a lack of knowledge about the alert system, while reports suggest that Mazón was dining with a journalist when the flood became critical and failed to attend an emergency coordination meeting until hours later. Yet, government sources deemed this timing as “irrelevant,” insisting that Mazón was kept up-to-date on developments.

The flooding resulted from a Dana phenomenon, a meteorological condition where warm, moist air collides with cold air, producing unstable weather patterns. Experts believe that climate change has exacerbated the impacts of such weather events.