Rallies mark one month since catastrophic flooding in Spain

PAIPORTA, Spain – Angry residents protested and lit candles in memory of the victims on Nov. 29, as Spain marked a month since its worst floods in a generation that killed 230 people.

Outrage swept the country after the October 29 disaster destroyed homes and businesses, leaving thousands of cars piled on muddy streets in the eastern region of Valencia.

Telephone warnings reached some residents as floodwaters were already rushing through towns, while several municipalities went without state aid for days and relied on volunteers for food, water and cleaning equipment.

Church bells rang at dusk in Paiporta, the epicenter of the disaster, around the time the flooding began. Several hundred locals, some wearing face masks, gathered near a ravine lashed by the torrential rains.

They left a row of candles on both sides of the ravine in memory of the 45 people who died in Paiporta in the floods.

“This tribute is for them, we put a candle for them so that they are not forgotten,” said Mrs. Bea Garcia, a 43-year-old teacher.

“People continue to feel alone, the anger remains and there is also fatigue and frustration. We are all exhausted.” she told AFP.

At 8:11 p.m., Valencia’s regional authorities issued an alert, more than twelve hours after a warning from the National Weather Service. Several people set off alarms on their cellphones and chanted slogans calling on regional leader Carlos Mazon to resign or be jailed.

Similar meetings were held in towns and cities across Valencia, organized by trade unions, associations and local organisations.

Another protest is expected on November 30 in Spain’s third city, Valencia. A first demonstration on November 9 drew 130,000 angry citizens who demanded Mazon’s resignation.

“We must be extremely understanding towards the protests… there are still many people who have not received anything, so we cannot rest,” Mr Mazon told reporters on November 29, announcing the reopening of the Valencia metro on December 3 announced.

Popular outrage in Paiporta boiled over on November 3 when residents threw mud at King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Mr Mazon.

Mr Sanchez and Mr Mazon were led away and their volatile unity has since collapsed, with the left-wing central government and the conservative regional administration blaming each other for the handling of the floods.

Swimming in the mud