During a visit to flood-ravaged Valencia, the king and queen of Spain were met with anger from protesters, who threw mud and other objects at them. The royal couple faced shouts of “murderer” and “shame” as they walked through Paiporta, one of the areas hardest hit by the flooding.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, also present, was quickly evacuated after being targeted by objects from the crowd. Spain’s recent floods, the most severe in decades, have claimed over 200 lives. Emergency responders continue to search for survivors in underground parking structures and tunnels. Public outrage has grown over perceived insufficient warnings and a lack of government support.
Footage captured King Felipe VI moving through a pedestrian street, flanked by bodyguards who struggled to protect him as the protest intensified. Despite the hostility, the king engaged with several locals, even embracing some. Images showed mud smeared across the faces and clothing of the king, Queen Letizia, and their entourage, who shielded him with umbrellas as they departed.
Accompanying the royal couple, Prime Minister Sánchez and Valencian regional government head Carlos Mazón were swiftly evacuated as tensions rose. Reports confirmed objects were thrown at Sánchez’s car as he departed, and crowds chanted, “Where is Sánchez?” after he left.
Emotions ran high, with one 16-year-old boy, Pau, tearfully telling the media, “We’re helping – and the leaders do nothing. People are still dying. I can’t stand this anymore.” Another resident lamented, “They left us to die. We’ve lost everything: our businesses, our homes, our dreams.”
Civil guards and mounted officers later attempted to disperse the protesters. The royal delegation had planned to continue to Chiva, another flood-impacted town in Valencia province, but the visit was postponed.
In a video statement on Instagram, the king acknowledged the protesters’ “anger and frustration.” Paiporta’s mayor, Maribel Albalat, told the media she was stunned by the violence but understood the community’s “frustration and desperation.” Valencian parliament member Juan Bordera criticized the timing of the royal visit as “a very bad decision,” citing authorities’ failure to heed earlier warnings.
On Saturday, Sánchez announced the deployment of 10,000 additional troops, police officers, and civil guards, calling it Spain’s largest peacetime mobilization, though he admitted it was still “not enough.”
Floodwaters, triggered by heavy rains beginning on Tuesday, destroyed bridges and buried towns in mud, isolating many communities and cutting them off from essentials. By Sunday, the death toll had risen to 217, with more feared missing, particularly in the Valencia region along Spain’s Mediterranean coast. The meteorological agency AEMET issued the highest alert level on Sunday for parts of southern Valencia, warning of further intense, though less severe, storms expected in the coming days.
