Angry residents of Valencia have hurled mud at Spain’s monarchs as they visit the flood-ravaged region.
As King Felipe and Queen Letizia walked through the muddied streets of Paiporta along with the devastated nation’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón and other government officials, they were greeted by furious locals, who lobbed mud and other objects such as empty drink cans at them.
Located just outside Valencia, the town was one of the hardest-hit areas, where more than 60 people died trying to flee from the torrential flash floods that have been described as “the worst natural disaster” in Spain’s recent history.
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Bodyguards used open umbrellas to protect the royals and officials from the mud slinging, and pictures show Queen Letizia walking through the devastated streets with mud across her face. Behind her, her security guard bleeds from his forehead, apparently hit by an object aimed the royal’s way.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The angry mob brayed “murderers” along with other brutal insults at the cohort, during the visit which took place today, Sunday, November 3.
Police were forced to step in, with some officers on horseback to keep the crowd at bay as they wielded shoves and poles, as anger swells over the Spanish government’s haphazard management of the tragic crisis, which killed more than 200 people.
The floods were already careering through Paiporta when regional officials issued an alert urging residents not to leave their homes to mobile phones, that rang two hours too late.
(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
The floods coated homes and roads with layers of mud and debris. The clean up has been largely done by residents and volunteers, enraging locals further.
“We have lost everything!,” one angry resident shouted at the royals.
Locals were further insulted after the royal security team cut off one of few roads in town that had been cleared for the King and Queen, which impeded clean up efforts, according to Spanish paper El Mundo.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Despite the mud hurling, the royals remained calm and made efforts to speak to residents. However, due to the tension, the delegation ended their visit after around 30 minutes, driving off in cars with a mounted police escort.
Before the car departed, one woman clobbered it with an umbrella while another kicked it.
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