Spain’s King Felipe has responded after an angry crowd forced him to shorten his visit to the flood-ravaged region in the country’s southeast on Sunday. “I understand the anger,” he wrote on X. At least 217 people died in the floods.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited Paiporta, a suburb of Valencia and one of the worst affected areas, on Sunday, together with the socialist Pedro Sánchez and the right-wing Prime Minister of the Valencia region, Carlos Mazón. The visit almost resulted in an uprising.
“Murderers! Murderers!”, a crowd shouted when the royal couple and their entourage arrived, especially at Sánchez and Mazón. Some people threw mud and all kinds of objects at the prominent figures, while there was a lot of swearing, AFP journalists noted on the spot.
Mud on the face
In the extremely tense situation, the mounted police had to intervene to push back the fiercest protesters. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia even got mud in their faces and on their clothes, which may have never happened in the history of the Spanish monarchy.
The royal couple was visibly upset, but continued to talk imperturbably with the angry residents for about an hour and tried to calm them down. A visit to another municipality was subsequently cancelled.
“Understanding anger”
In the evening, the monarch said in a video on X that “the anger and frustration of many people is understandable after what they have been through.” He also called for “giving them hope and guaranteeing that the state is fully there” to help them.
Sánchez and Mázon, who faced the worst insults, were quickly rescued by the security services and taken to safety. National television (TVE) showed images of a vehicle covered in mud that it said was Sánchez’s official car. The rear window was shattered.
In a brief statement several hours later, Sánchez said he understood “the fear and suffering” of the victims of the disaster, but condemned “any form of violence.”
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