Spain's king, queen pelted with mud in flood-hit Valencia

FE Team | Published: November 04, 2024 21:36:50

VALENCIA, Nov 04 (BBC): The king and queen of Spain have been pelted with mud and other objects by angry protesters during a visit to flood-hit Valencia. Shouts of "murderer" and "shame" were directed at the royal couple as they walked through the town of Paiporta - one of the worst-affected in the region.
Objects were also thrown at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who was quickly evacuated. More than 200 people were killed in the floods, the worst in Spain for decades. Emergency workers are continuing to comb through underground car parks and tunnels in the hope of finding survivors and recovering bodies.
There has been anger at a perceived lack of warning and insufficient support from authorities after the floods. Footage showed King Felipe VI making his way down a pedestrian street, before his bodyguards and police were suddenly overwhelmed by a surge of protesters, hurling insults and screaming.
They struggled to maintain a protective ring around the monarch, as some of the protesters threw mud and objects. The king engaged with several, even embracing them. Images showed mud on the faces and clothes of the king, Queen Letizia and their entourage, who held umbrellas over the monarch as they departed.
Prime Minister Sánchez and the head of Valencian regional government, Carlos Mazón, joined the royal couple on the visit, but were swiftly evacuated as the crowd grew increasingly hostile.