Valencia's Cry for Justice: Protests Erupt Over Flood Mismanagement

Thousands protested in Valencia against regional handling of floods that killed 220. Protesters demand resignation of leader Carlos Mazon, accusing him of delayed alerts. Affected communities, previously warned by national services, expressed anger over the management. Nearly 80 remain missing after the deadly event.

In the eastern Spanish city of Valencia, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets, expressing outrage over the regional authorities' mismanagement of catastrophic floods that claimed over 220 lives, making it one of Europe's deadliest natural disasters in decades.

Amid the mounting frustration, the public has called for regional leader Carlos Mazon's resignation, accusing his administration of issuing flood alerts too late, after floods had already inundated surrounding towns and villages. Protesters chanted "Killers!" and left muddy boots outside the council building as a symbol of their dissatisfaction.

The demonstrations were strongly organized by around 30 groups, including Accio Cultural del Pais Valenciano. While Mazon defended his actions, blaming central authorities for insufficient information, his response failed to quell the anger of those impacted, as around 130,000 reportedly partook in the rally. The disaster echoes warnings and precautions many local bodies had been taking since October 25, while Mazon's alert came much later, at 8 p.m. on October 29.

(With inputs from agencies.)