Anger boiled over on Sunday in Spain’s flood-stricken Valencia region as locals attacked Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s motorcade and threw mud at King Felipe VI.
A royal entourage that also included Queen Letizia came under pressure from angry crowds in the town of Paiporta, which was among the hardest hit by the devastating floods that have claimed the lives of at least 211 people, with 1,900 others still missing.
Residents accuse authorities of failing to warn them about rising floodwaters and have complained that recovery teams have been largely absent in the aftermath of the disaster.
“I want to convey all our solidarity and our recognition of the anguish and suffering of the people of Paiporta,” Sánchez told the media. But he added that he “rejected the kind of violence like that which we’ve seen today.”
While tens of thousands of civilian volunteers have travelled to Valencia to assist in the clean-up, recovery professionals have yet to arrive in some of the affected villages, where locals continue to live among ruined buildings, mountains of mud and dead bodies.
Paiporta’s residents reacted with fury when the king and a police escort comprising dozens of officers appeared in the town on Sunday, throwing mud, bottles and other objects at the retinue.
“It’s been four days, where have you been?” indignant locals asked a mud-splattered Felipe VI. “You’ve just come here to pose for pictures. You have no shame!” More of this article (Politico) - link - more like this (Spain) - link - more like this (floods) - link
“I want to convey all our solidarity and our recognition of the anguish and suffering of the people of Paiporta,” Sánchez told the media. But he added that he “rejected the kind of violence like that which we’ve seen today.”
While tens of thousands of civilian volunteers have travelled to Valencia to assist in the clean-up, recovery professionals have yet to arrive in some of the affected villages, where locals continue to live among ruined buildings, mountains of mud and dead bodies.
Paiporta’s residents reacted with fury when the king and a police escort comprising dozens of officers appeared in the town on Sunday, throwing mud, bottles and other objects at the retinue.
“It’s been four days, where have you been?” indignant locals asked a mud-splattered Felipe VI. “You’ve just come here to pose for pictures. You have no shame!” More of this article (Politico) - link - more like this (Spain) - link - more like this (floods) - link
No comments:
Post a Comment