Spain’s king and queen pelted with mud in flood-hit Valencia
During a visit to flood-stricken Valencia, the King and Queen of Spain faced a barrage of mud and other objects thrown by angry protesters. Cries of “murderer” and “shame” were directed at the royal couple, Spain’s prime minister, and other officials as they walked through Paiporta, one of the hardest-hit towns.
With mud smeared on their faces and clothes, King Felipe and Queen Letizia were later seen comforting members of the crowd. The recent floods, the worst Spain has experienced in decades, have claimed over 200 lives. Rescue teams continue to search through underground parking areas and tunnels for survivors and to recover bodies.
Public frustration has been high, with many criticizing what they see as inadequate warnings and insufficient aid from authorities.
Video footage shows the king moving along a pedestrian street when a surge of protesters overwhelmed his security detail, shouting insults and throwing objects. The bodyguards struggled to shield him as the crowd became more intense. Despite the chaos, the king engaged with several individuals and even embraced some.
Photos captured mud-streaked faces and clothing of the king, queen, and their entourage, with umbrellas held over them as they left. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Valencian regional leader Carlos Mazón accompanied the royal couple but were quickly ushered away as tensions escalated.
Spanish media reports that objects were hurled at Sánchez, while footage verified by the BBC appears to show stones being thrown at his car as he was driven away.
After he left, the crowd chanted: “Where is Sánchez?”
“I’m just 16,” one boy, Pau, told the BBC through tears. “We’re helping – and the leaders do nothing. People are still dying. I can’t stand this anymore.”
Another woman said: “They left us to die. We’ve lost everything: our businesses, our homes, our dreams.”
The civil guard and mounted officers were later seen attempting to disperse the angry crowd.
The royal entourage had intended to travel on to Chiva, another town in the Valencia province badly impacted by the flooding, but that visit has since been postponed.
The king later said he understood the “anger and frustration” of the protestors in a video posted on the royal household’s Instagram account.
The mayor of Paiporta, Maribel Albalat, told the BBC she was shocked by the violence, but that she understood “the frustration and desperation of the people”.
Juan Bordera, a member of the Valencian parliament, called the king’s visit “a very bad decision”.
Authorities “didn’t listen to any warnings,” Mr Bordera told the BBC.
“Logically, the people are angry, it’s logical that the people didn’t understand why this visit is so urgent,” he added.
On Saturday, Sánchez ordered 10,000 more troops, police officers, and civil guards to the area.
He said the deployment was Spain’s largest in peacetime. But he added that he was aware the response was “not enough” and acknowledged “severe problems and shortages”.
The flooding began on Tuesday, following a period of intense rainfall. Floodwaters quickly caused bridges to collapse and enveloped towns in thick mud.
Many communities were cut off, left without access to water, food, electricity, and other basic services.
On Sunday, the death toll from the flooding rose to 217, with many more feared missing.
Almost all of the deaths confirmed so far have been in the Valencia region on the Mediterranean coast.
Some areas have been particularly devastated. Authorities in Paiporta, the town visited today by the royal delegation, have reported at least 62 deaths.
Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET issued its highest alert on Sunday for parts of southern Valencia – including the cities of Alzira, Cullera, and Gandia.
Intense storms forecast to pass the area will not be on the scale of Tuesday’s, the agency said, with 90mm (3.45 inches) of rainfall expected.
