Spain Flood Survivors Turn Anger on Royals and Government

A crowd of enraged Spanish flood survivors hurled mud and debris at King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia during their visit to a hard-hit area on Sunday. The incident occurred in Paiporta, where over 60 people died and thousands of lives were shattered due to the disaster fueled by climate change.

The royal couple’s visit was met with “Get out! Get out!” and “Killers!” from the crowd, who accused officials of being overwhelmed and unable to meet their needs. The anger was directed at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, regional Valencia President Carlo Mazón, and other government officials.

Queen Letizia broke down in tears as she spoke to survivors, while King Felipe VI remained calm despite being covered in mud. He attempted to speak with individual residents and continued his visit, but the crowd’s fury forced him to seek protection.

The public rage over the haphazard management of the crisis has been building, with many people still without access to basic necessities like water and electricity. The incident highlights the frustration with the government’s response to the disaster.

Police were deployed to keep back the crowd, which included some wielding shovels and poles. The royal couple eventually left the area after another stop was called off at a second hard-hit village.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/spain-floods-king-protest-mud-a8525bd82cf4cc3fc6273d535cbb9d66