At least 220 people lost their lives in the floods at the end of October, and more are still missing after what is one of the worst natural disasters in Europe in decades.
– Murderers! shouted the protesters who on Saturday gathered in the center of Valencia demanding that the region’s head of government Carlos Mazon resign.
– Our hands are stained with clay, yours with blood, read one of the posters during the protest, which according to the government had around 130,000 participants.
Death in the orange grove
Some demonstrators clashed with riot police in front of Valencia City Hall, from where the demonstrators marched to the regional government’s headquarters. The police used batons against the demonstrators.
Among those who demonstrated on Saturday was Sara Sanchez Gurillo, who lost her brother-in-law, 62-year-old Candido Molina Pulgarin. His body was found in an orange grove after he was caught by the bodies of water at his home in Cheste, west of Valencia. Sanchez believes Mazon must resign, but she also directs harsh criticism at the country’s national leaders.
– It is shameful what has happened. They knew the sky was going to fall, and yet they warned no one. They did not evacuate the people. We want them to leave, says Sanchez.
She believes the government in Madrid should have taken action on the situation and sent in the army earlier.
Late help
Mazon is under massive pressure and accused of notifying the region’s residents far too late. Mazon, who belongs to the conservative PP party, has also been criticized for what people say is a slow and chaotic handling of the flood disaster. Thousands of volunteers first reached with help many of the hardest hit areas in the southern outskirts of Valencia.
Mazon told broadcaster A Punt earlier Saturday that a time will come when officials will be held accountable.
– Now is the time to continue cleaning our streets, help people and rebuild, said the regional president, adding that he respects the protesters.
Police and soldiers
It took several days before the Spanish authorities were able to mobilize thousands of police officers and soldiers for the relief work after the regional authorities had requested it. In Spain, it is the regional authorities’ task to deal with natural disasters, but they can ask the national authorities for additional resources.
The flood warning was not sent to the citizens’ mobile phones until 20:00 on 29 October, several hours after the floods were a fact in a number of villages and towns.
Red danger warning
Mazon has said he would have notified them earlier if he had known the seriousness of the situation. He claims that the scale could not be foreseen and that his government had not received sufficient warning from the central authorities.
But Spain’s weather agency Aemet issued a red danger warning – the highest level – of heavy rainfall as early as 7.30 on the morning of 29 October. In the days before, from 25 October, there had been a number of storm warnings from Aemet, which led to several institutions sounding the alarm much earlier than the regional authorities.
Royal visit
Mazon was with Spain’s prime minister and the royal couple when angry residents hurled mud at them as they visited one of the disaster areas last weekend. On Tuesday, King Felipe will visit the Valencia region again, his office said on Saturday.
On Saturday, the official death toll after the flood disaster stood at 220 dead, of which 212 in the Valencia region. Almost 80 people are still listed as missing and the search for victims continues.
Several thousand people lost their homes and streets are still covered in mud and debris, eleven days after massive rains sent rivers of mud into affected areas.
#demonstrate #disasterstricken #Valencia
**Interview with Sara Sanchez Gurillo, Flood Disaster Protester**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us today, Sara. First and foremost, I want to express my condolences for your loss. Can you share a bit about what happened to your brother-in-law during the floods?
**Sara Sanchez Gurillo:** Thank you. My brother-in-law, Candido, was 62 years old. The floods hit our area hard, and he was caught at home in Cheste when the waters rose unexpectedly. His body was found later in an orange grove. It’s devastating not just for our family, but for so many others affected by this disaster.
**Editor:** The protests in Valencia were quite significant, with around 130,000 people demanding the resignation of the regional president, Carlos Mazon. What do you believe sparked such a massive response from the community?
**Sara:** People are angry and grief-stricken. Many feel abandoned by our leaders. They knew a storm was coming but failed to warn us in time or evacuate those at risk. We are standing up to demand accountability. We want to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
**Editor:** You mentioned that you also hold national leaders responsible. What specific actions do you feel they should have taken?
**Sara:** The government in Madrid should have acted sooner. They could have sent in the army to help with evacuations and preparations. Our leaders failed to protect us when they had the chance.
**Editor:** You participated in clashes with police during the protest. What drove you to that point of frustration?
**Sara:** It’s heartbreaking to see our cries for help met with batons instead of sympathy. We were there to express our grief and anger over the loss of life, and when the police turned against us, it escalated emotions. We want to make sure our voices are heard.
**Editor:** Carlos Mazon has said that now is the time to focus on recovery and rebuilding. Do you believe he is taking the right approach?
**Sara:** Recovery is indeed important, but it cannot come without accountability. We cannot just sweep this tragedy under the rug. Those responsible must face consequences; only then can we truly start to heal.
**Editor:** What message do you want to convey to the public about this disaster?
**Sara:** I want everyone to understand that we need to stand together. This is not just a local crisis; it’s a national one. If we remain silent now, we risk future tragedies. We must demand better from our leaders for the sake of all those we lost.
**Editor:** Thank you, Sara, for sharing your thoughts and experiences. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this disaster.
**Sara:** Thank you for giving me this platform. It’s crucial that we keep talking about what happened and push for change.
