Thousands protest over Spain flood response

People attend a demonstration to protest against the Valencian regional government’s handling of the deadly October floods in Valencia on February 1, 2025. The floods that started on October 29, 2024 in Valencia region killed 231 people. (Photo by JOSE JORDAN / AFP)

VALENCIA, Spain — Thousands of people marched in Valencia on Saturday in the latest protest over the Spanish government’s response to devastating floods that killed more than 200 people in October.

Though it was smaller than three previous protests in the Mediterranean city, the march drew around 25,000 people, officials said.

Chanting “Resign!” at conservative regional leader Carlos Mazon, the protesters marched in intermittent rain through the center of the city, the epicenter of the October 29 floods that killed 232 people.

Walking with raincoats and umbrellas, demonstrators carried signs paying tribute to victims and demanding “justice”.

“We’re here for the families who have lost so many people because of bad management,” 64-year-old retiree Francisca Lozano told AFP.

October’s torrential rains unleashed a deluge of water and mud that tore through much of the Valencia region, sweeping away houses, shops, and cars.

Two initial protests in Valencia in November drew more than 100,000 people, and another on December 29 around 80,000, according to official figures.

Much of the anger has focused on the fact that many residents received telephone alerts only after water was already engulfing their homes, while some municipalities went without assistance for days, relying on volunteer rescuers.

Residents, who face a long, costly rebuilding process, say the government has also been slow to deliver aid.

The popular anger boiled over during a November 3 visit by Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia, alongside Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Mazon, when locals pelted the delegations with mud in images that stunned the country.

The government has pledged 16.6 billion euros ($17.2 billion) in aid and loans for affected towns, businesses and residents.