Two weeks after the immense rains and floods which hit the Valencia region, in Spain, the anger has not subsided. A demonstration is planned this evening at 6 p.m.
For two weeks it has been nicknamed “the bridge of solidarity”. For two weeks, thousands of volunteers have been using this structure in Valencia every day to come and lend a helping hand to those affected by the deadly floods. But today, a banner adorns a section of the bridge: “All in the streets, justice for the people”.
In Valencia, the anger of the residents does not subside. To express this, around forty organizations, mostly political, are organizing a demonstration, this Saturday, November 9 at 6 p.m., to denounce the inaction of the authorities. It is being held less than a week after the turbulent visit of the King of Spain to Paiporta, one of the towns most affected by the floods.
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In the streets of Valencia, the scars are also deep. Sometimes it takes ten people to remove the mud stuck to the asphalt. Victor and José work with disaster victims in the Massana district. Exasperated, they will participate in the demonstration.
“I’m going to bring them some mud, I’m going to put it in my pockets,” one of them explains to BFMTV. “Most of the problems we have today are due to the incompetence of politicians. The central government did not help us, they did not respond to our requests. It is the population who pays because of rivalries between politicians”, the second annoys.
“We must find those responsible”
Helena left Madrid to join the victims. “It’s the first time in my life that I’m going to participate in a demonstration,” she explains to BFMTV. “We must find those responsible, it will be a way of assuaging our pain and denouncing the lack of organization, the feeling of abandonment of the people.”
Nicolas feels the lack of organization and the feeling of abandonment on a daily basis. This Frenchman, based in Benetusser, has been participating in clean-up operations since the start of the deadly floods.
“We come on the weekend from Friday, and we help the suburbs near Valence. We come to help people try to clear things as quickly as possible,” he explains.
Despite the significant outpouring of solidarity, “there remains a huge amount of work”. “What is very lacking here is, first of all, coordination, because all the volunteers come to help voluntarily, but we have to try to coordinate.”
“He is also missing a lot of arms,” continues Nicolas. “The solidarity here in Valencia, between the people and the Spaniards, is very important. You can see it everywhere, but what is needed are hands to try to clear as much as possible and help people in difficulty .”
According to Nicolas, the return to normal is not imminent in the damaged streets. “It will take a month before we clean properly, but for things to return to normal, I would say several months,” estimates the Frenchman.
Thousands of people expected
In order not to slow down the cleaning operations, the organizers of the event have arranged to meet participants at 6 p.m. “From 4:30 p.m., the volunteers leave the disaster areas to return home. This is why we scheduled the demonstration at this time, so as not to interfere in the operations,” explains an organizer to BFMTV.
Several thousand people are expected at the demonstration which should remain silent in tribute to the victims. According to a latest report, 219 people died in the terrible floods in the Valencia region. 89 people are still missing.
Antoine Forestier with Charlotte Lesage
