Thousands protest in Spain’s Valencia over handling of deadly floods

About 80 group are still missing and group are angry astatine nan authorities aft nan deadliest deluge successful decades.

Thousands of group person demonstrated successful Spain’s eastbound metropolis of Valencia to protestation nan authorities’ handling of 1 of Europe’s deadliest earthy disasters successful decades and telephone for accountability.

Large crowds gathered successful nan cardinal portion of nan metropolis connected Saturday night, pinch immoderate clashing pinch riot constabulary successful beforehand of Valencia’s metropolis hall. Police were filmed utilizing batons to hit backmost protesters who were marching towards nan spot of nan location government.

In Spain, location governments are charged pinch handling civilian protection and tin ask for other resources from nan nationalist government successful Madrid.

The existent location leader is Carlos Mazon of nan blimpish Popular Party, who is facing calls for resignation aft his management grounded to rumor flood alerts to citizens until aft nan water was filling people’s homes.

Mazon has defended his handling of nan crisis, arguing that nan magnitude of nan situation was unforeseeable and that authorities successful Madrid grounded to notify his management adequately and connected time.

But Spain’s upwind agency issued a reddish alert, nan highest level of warning, for bad upwind astatine astir 7:30am section clip (06:30GMT) connected Tuesday morning, much than 12 hours earlier than Mazon’s management yet sent retired alerts to people’s cellphones.

The location leader is besides facing dense disapproval owed to what group viewed arsenic a slow and unorganised consequence to nan earthy disaster, which has killed astatine slightest 220 group arsenic of Saturday.

People clasp placards arsenic civilian groups and unions protestation against Valencia’s location leader Carlos Mazon [Eva Manez/Reuters]

In galore of nan hardest-hit areas connected Valencia’s confederate outskirts, volunteers were nan first to thief people, pinch nan authorities taking days to afloat mobilise nan thousands of constabulary forces and soldiers who were sent to assistance nan flood-stricken.

“You killed us!” immoderate of nan protesters wrote connected their protestation banners connected Saturday, pinch others chanting for Mazon’s resignation and immoderate leaving muddied boots extracurricular nan assembly building to show their fury.

“We want to show our indignation and anger complete nan mediocre guidance of this disaster which has affected truthful galore people,” said Anna Oliver, president of Accio Cultural del Pais Valenciano, 1 of astir 30 groups that organised nan protest, according to nan Reuters news agency.

There were besides protests successful Valencia earlier this week, and people threw mud and chanted “murderers” erstwhile King Felipe and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited a suburb of nan city.

At slightest 212 of nan deaths were recorded successful nan eastbound Valencia region, and astir 80 group are still believed to beryllium missing successful nan deadliest deluge successful a European state since floods successful Portugal successful 1967 killed astir 500.