Thousands of people protested in the center of Valencia on Saturday, demanding the resignation of regional authorities. Demonstration participants believe that they failed to cope with the flood, which killed over 220 people a month ago. According to Spanish media, the situation in the towns affected by the disaster is still critical.
Government estimates say that about 100,000 people took part in the demonstration. These were the second mass protests in Valencia in three weeks. The first took place on November 9, when approximately 130,000 people gathered in the square in the city center. people. “Resignation!”, “Murderer!” – the crowd chanted on Saturday, demanding the resignation of the head of the regional government, Carlos Mazon. The politician himself had previously refused to resign and only reconstructed his government. He appointed, among others, retired general Francisco Jose Gan Pampolsa as vice president for reconstruction.
Demonstration in ValenciaPAP/EPA/KAI FORSTERLING
– We are protesting because we absolutely disagree with the authorities' actions. The people responsible for what happened give false excuses and do nothing about it. They don't give up their roles, and we don't want them to. They couldn't cope. They should leave, said one of the protesting women.
Over 220 dead
As a result of the tragic floods that hit the south and east of Spain at the end of October, over 220 people died, most of them in the province of Valencia. Flash floods destroyed approximately 120,000 cars, and over 1.6 thousand houses are uninhabitable.
Spanish media report that a month after the disaster, the situation in the affected towns remains critical. The organizers of Saturday's demonstration also emphasized the lack of help and the authorities' slowness.
The protesters are demanding the immediate resignation of the Valencian authoritiesPAP/EPA/KAI FORSTERLING
– A month has passed since the disaster. The actions of the authorities are terrible. Together with other volunteers, I go to flood areas to help. We have already cleaned apartments full of rubble, but we still need many machines that the authorities are not sending, said a man taking part in the protest.
Wrecks of cars destroyed in the flood in the town of Paiporta in the province of ValenciaPAP/EPA/MANUEL BRUQUE
Firefighters protest in Madrid
About five thousand firefighters protested in Madrid on Saturday, demanding the adoption of regulations on the coordination of services in the face of natural disasters.
– The floods in Valencia have shown what we have been warning about for a long time – said Israel Naveso, head of the CUBP organization of professional firefighters in Spain, quoted by the daily “El Mundo”.
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/KAI FORSTERLING