Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in the eastern city of Valencia on Saturday, demanding the resignation of the regional president in charge of the emergency response to last week’s devastating floods, which left more than 200 people dead and missing.
A group of protesters clashed with riot police in front of Valencia’s city hall, where protesters began marching to the headquarters of the regional government. Police used batons to beat them back.
Regional leader Carlos Mazon is under enormous pressure after his administration failed to issue flood alerts to people’s mobile phones until hours after the flooding began on the night of October 29.
Many of the marchers held handmade placards and chanted “Mazon resigns!” Some held placards with messages such as “You killed us!” Upon arriving at the local government headquarters, some protesters threw mud at the building and left mud handprints on its facade.
Earlier on Saturday, Mazon told local broadcaster A Punto that “there will come a time to hold the authorities accountable,” but now “it’s time to keep cleaning the streets, keep helping people, keep rebuilding.” spoke.
A person takes a photo of a protest sign left at the regional government headquarters in Valencia as thousands of people call for the resignation of Valencia’s ruler over his handling of the region’s floods. Photo: EPA-EFE
Spanish National Police announced late Saturday that more than 100 people had been arrested in Valencia.
