Valencia protests demand leader's resignation
Thousands of protesters and dozens of tractors made their way through the streets of Valencia, calling for the resignation of regional leader Carlos Mazon over the handling of deadly floods which killed more than 220 people.
Holding banners with Mazon's image and slogans, the protesters gathered two months after the disaster to demand their leader to resign.
Local residents have been critical of what they see as lacklustre alerts from authorities when the floods hit, and the late response by the emergency services.
Mazon has admitted he had made errors but refused to resign and said the body responsible for measuring water flows, run by the national government, failed to send sufficient warnings.
Farmers, among the most severely affected by the disaster, plan to lead the protest with their tractors, reminiscent of their efforts to combat the floods in late October.
Previous demonstrations have drawn approximately 130,000 protesters with participants chanting demands for Mazón's resignation and imprisonment.
Protest organizer Anna Oliver expressed the community's outrage over the poor management of the catastrophe.
The controversy intensified after reports emerged that Mazón was attending a lunch meeting with a journalist while the floods were occurring, missing an emergency meeting. Though government sources told El Pais this was "irrelevant," public anger has not subsided.
Criticism centers on the delayed response to the crisis, as weather agencies issued warnings on October 25, but Valencian authorities failed to alert residents until hours after flooding began. Mazón defended his administration, claiming the disaster was unforeseeable and citing inadequate warnings from central government authorities.
The situation has sparked broader unrest, evidenced by an incident last month when protesters threw mud at the visiting Spanish King and Queen in Paiporta, one of the worst-affected areas. The Dana phenomenon, caused by the collision of warm and cold air masses, has destroyed countless homes and livelihoods, with many properties still buried in mud and debris.
