As reported by DW
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Valencia to demand the resignation of regional leader Carlos Mason after last year’s flood claimed 229 lives.
The event sparked broad public outcry, particularly over criticism of the regional government’s handling of a warning system that had degraded over time and its response to the disaster.
“On Saturday, tens of thousands of people protested in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia, a year after the flood that claimed 229 lives,”
Demonstrators demanded the resignation of the head of the regional government, Carlos Mason, over how he handled the aftermath of the disaster.
They held banners reading “Mason to prison” and chanted “They didn’t die, they were killed!”
A total of 229 people died in the flood last year. The Mason administration was sharply criticized for issuing a warning to residents about the flood too late.
The warning came more than 12 hours after the national meteorological agency issued the highest level of danger for heavy rainfall.
Residents told Spanish media that by the time they received the alerts, muddy water had surrounded their cars, flooded streets, and inundated homes.
Under Spain’s decentralized system, disaster management falls within the purview of regional governments.
However, Mason himself argued that his administration did not have the necessary information to publish the warning earlier.
Impact on policy and emergency management
The protests in Valencia highlight the need to strengthen alert systems and quickly inform the public during emergencies to avoid future tragedies.
