Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia often receive a warm welcome at public events. But this time, people were angry and threw mud at the Spanish royals instead. On Sunday, November 3, 2024, King Felipe and Queen Letizia, in addition to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, visited the town of Paiporta, one of the areas that has been hit hardest by devastating floods in Spain. The prime minister was evacuated from the town after “receiving a blow” by an object while navigating an angry group of people brandishing shovels.
Although people threw mud and other objects, Felipe and Letizia continued to try to speak to people affected by the flooding, the Associated Press reported.
Footage shared by BBC shows Felipe and Letizia walking down the street as bodyguards and police officers tried to protect them from the mud and other objects protestors threw. With specks of mud on them, the king and queen continued to try to interact with people who wanted to share their grievances.
During their visit, people shouted insults, including “Get out! Get out!” “Killers!” and “Shame,” at the royal couple and other officials.
Per AP, talking to residents and learning more about what they’ve gone through as the area grapples with the deadly floods made Queen Letizia cry. One person told the king that he “abandoned” people in the region, reported The Guardian. “You’re four days too late,” one of the victims of the historic flooding said to the royals.
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In a video shared after the visit, the king appeared to empathize with the angry protesters. “One has to understand the anger and frustration of many people given all that they have gone through,” he said in the video.
Many people felt as though officials did not provide sufficient warnings prior to the flooding. Additionally, they don’t think officials have done enough to support people in the aftermath of the disaster.
The storms have killed more than 200 people. At least 62 died in Paiporta, the town that the Spanish royals visited, per BBC. The death toll could still increase, as many are still missing. Additionally, the flooding left communities without electricity, food, water, and internet access. Because of buildings left in ruins and streets covered in debris, some blocks of Paiporta remain inaccessible, the AP reported.
When Felipe and Letizia left the area, their entourage used umbrellas to protect them from mud. On November 4, Politico reported that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was evacuated during the visit because of “real and evident” threats. Sánchez was hit by an object, the news outlet reported. Two bodyguards with him during the visit reportedly were injured and needed medical treatment.
Sánchez later spoke about the visit, saying, “I want to express all my government’s solidarity and its acknowledgment of the anguish, suffering, uncertainty and the needs of the residents of Paiporta and the region of Valencia,” per AP.
