Spain‘s King Felipe was seen snapping at Valencian locals who screamed and threw mud at him and his wife as they visited the region in the wake of the devastating floods that have so far killed 217.
The monarchs had mud thrown at them by angry survivors of the floods that killed more than 200 people, including three British citizens, as they walked through the muddy streets in Paiporta, one of the hardest-hit towns on the outskirts of Valencia.
Queen Letizia could be seen with mud speckled over her face, while one of the bodyguards escorting the royals in Paiporta had seemingly been hit by an object as he had a cut on his forehead, which caused blood to run down his face.
The crowd shouted ‘murderers’ and other insults at the royals and government officials including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during the visit on Sunday.
At one point, the crowd was so close they were able to have full conversations with the King. After a Valencian screamed at him, he said in response: ‘If you want, I won’t come and I’ll stay in Madrid.’
Police had to step in, with some officers on horseback to keep back the crowd of several dozens.
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The monarchs had mud thrown at them by angry survivors of the floods that killed more than 200 people, including three British citizens
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King Felipe was heard threatening to go back to Madrid amid the heavy criticism
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The royals were forced to bring in their bodyguards to protect themselves
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At least two bodyguards were injured in the ruckus
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King Felipe’s visit to Paiporta was accompanied by shouting from enraged locals
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Spain’s Queen Letizia consoles a woman during her visit to Paiporta, eastern Spain, November 3 2024
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Spanish Army start to work cleaning following the deadly floods in the Valencian town of Paiporta, Spain on November 3, 2024
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Bodyguards opened umbrellas to protect the royal visitors and officials as protesters hurled mud at them. At least two of them were injured.
After being forced to seek protection, the king and queen remained calm and made several efforts to speak to individual residents, while local officials – who the angry crowd had reportedly directed their wrath at – fled.
Jose Ribelles, a 23-year-old supermarket worker whose life had been upended by the flood, told the Times: ‘What do you expect? For us to tell him sweet nothings?’
He accused the Spanish state of not doing enough to support victims of the flood.
‘They wanted to kill us. The first thing you have to do is warn people when a dam is about to be overwhelmed and broken.
‘You can’t warn people when they are already drowning.’
He said he witnessed several dead bodies in the supermarket he worked at.
‘There were 12 deaths among my colleagues. The flood got them in the garage.’
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A woman cleans thick mud, in the aftermath of floods caused by heavy rains, in Sedavi, near Valencia, Spain, November 3, 2024
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Spain’s Queen Letizia speaks to people as she has mud on her face, following heavy rains that caused floods, in Paiporta, near Valencia, Spain, November 3, 2024
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Spain’s Queen Letizia consoles a woman during her visit to Paiporta, eastern Spain, November 3, 2024
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Food donations were made available to hard-hit residents in Valencia
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A police officer checking inside piled up vehicles for victims in the aftermath of the flooding on Saturday
His friend, 20-year-old Francisco Javier Molina, added: ‘The king and all came very clean and to look good in front of the town and cameras but this doesn’t help us at all. He should come here and get rid of the mud and the dead that are in garages. And then he’ll be one of us.’
The king and queen spent an hour trying to calm tempers before leaving themselves.
Though they were meant to visit another nearby town, Chiva, they ‘postponed the visit’, fearing another similar reception.
Chiva citizens reportedly shouted ‘cowards’ at the absent monarchs. One woman who lives there, Maria Tarin, told the Times: ‘The king can shove it but it’s the Valencian government head Carlos Mazon and Pedro Sanchez who are to blame.
‘Better that they didn’t come because it wouldn’t have ended well for them.’
Both Sanchez and Mazon had left the town of Paiporta quickly left, not before the rear window of the premier’s vehicle was broken.
‘I understand the social anger and of course, I’m here to receive it. This is my political and moral obligation,’ Mazon later said in a post on X, while calling the king’s conduct ‘exemplary’.
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Cars piled up in a ditch at a construction site after being swept off the road by powerful floods
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Spain’s King Felipe has been heckled and had mud thrown at him by furious local during his visit to Valencia, where more than 200 people died in devastating floods
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Queen Letizia can be seen with mud on her face while a bodyguard behind her has blood streaming down his head after he was likely hit by one of the objects thrown at the royals
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Spain’s King Felipe gestures with mud on his clothes and face, thrown at him by citizens, as he tries to speak to people during his visit to the areas affected by a storm, following heavy rains that caused floods, in Paiporta, near Valencia, Spain, November 3, 2024
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People wearing PPE try to sweep away mud as they desperately clean up the streets
