Death and destruction as torrential rains lash Spain
Al Jazeera
Spain's King and Queen, Top Officials, Pelted With Mud Over Flood Response
Above: King Felipe VI during his visit to an area affected by the DANA, on November 3, 2024, in Paiporta, Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain. Image copyright: Rober Solsona/Europa Press/Contributor via Getty Images
The Facts
Public tension rose this weekend after Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia, alongside Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Valencia's regional governor Carlos Mazón, visited one of the worst-hit regions in the country's recent flooding that has killed over 200 people.
Crowds in the town of Paiporta — where over 60 died from the floods — shouted "Killers!" and "Get out!" as the leaders carried out their visit. Others hurled clots of mud and other objects, including rocks, with two bodyguards reportedly injured.
The Spin
Narrative A
The anger of the people is understandable. Many lost homes, businesses, as well as the lives of loved ones. The government is listening and is doing all it can to help ease people's suffering.
Establishment-critical narrative
What did these leaders expect when they visited Paiporta? These floods have totally devastated the region and the government response has been completely inadequate.