Spain Protests Government’s Response to Deadly Floods

Angry protesters in Valencia insulted and threw mud at King Felipe vi, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain during their visit to the flood-stricken area on Sunday. The protesters chanted, “Murders! Murders!” at the authorities for the government’s lack of warning and response to the deadliest flashflooding to ever hit Spain.

At least 217 people have died, and many are still unaccounted for.

Failures: The national weather authority warned of heavy rainfall Tuesday morning, but the regional government failed to warn residents in time.

• Tuesday afternoon, Carlos Mazón, Valencia’s regional president, posted on social media that the rains were letting up.
• That evening, the regional government sent out an emergency alert, but by then residents were trapped.
• The national government did not issue an emergency response that would have allowed it to take over.
• The regional government did not authorize the receipt of emergency funds until Saturday.

Quotes: “Please, the dead are still in the garages,” one Valencia resident shouted as the heads of state walked through town on Sunday. “The families are looking for their relatives and friends. Please come, we only ask for help. … All we wanted was to be warned and we would have been saved.”

“It was known and nobody did anything to avoid it,” a young man told the king.

Protests: Despite bodyguards trying to shield the royals with umbrellas, both King Felipe vi and Queen Letizia were hit with mud. One of Queen Letizia’s bodyguards was bleeding after a hurled object hit his face. The windows of Sanchez’s official car were broken.

Some of the protesters wore symbols of far-right organizations normally seen at protests against the left-leaning government.

Dissatisfaction: In Spain, as in the rest of Europe, the people are looking for strong, reliable leadership. The challenges the Continent faces and the failures of its governments are stirring up dissatisfaction and unrest within its people. Europe wants change.

Learn more: Read “Who Will Drain Europe’s Swamp?”