More than 50,000 people took to the streets in Valencia, Spain, on the anniversary of last year’s devastating floods—demanding justice for the victims and accountability for the authorities’ failings. Demonstrators claim that warnings came too late during the disaster and that rescue efforts were chaotic.
Protesters marched through the city centre, carrying banners calling for the resignation of regional president Carlos Mazón. Many participants came from the towns most affected by the floods, where 229 people lost their lives in the tragedy on October 29 last year.
In Spain’s highly decentralised system, disaster management is the responsibility of regional administrations. According to survivors and relatives of the victims, local authorities failed to act on weather warnings in time, leaving residents with no chance to evacuate before the waters rose. Nearly half of the deceased were aged 70 or older—a fact highlighted by some protesters.
On the streets of Spain’s third-largest city, protesters held signs calling for Mazón’s resignation or even imprisonment. The politician, from the centrist conservative People’s Party (PP), has remained in office with the backing of party boss Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who reportedly fears that early elections in Valencia could prove “catastrophic” for both the PP and his leadership.
The Spanish government has promised to develop a new flood protection plan, but protesters say the recovery remains too slow.
Last November, another major demonstration followed the deadly floods, with 13,000 Spaniards taking to the streets.
