Mud Thrown At Spanish King & Queen On Visit To Flood-Hit Valencia

During their visit to Paiporta (Valencia), one of the towns most affected by the floods, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain had mud, insult and objects thrown at them.  The president of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the president of the Valencian Regional Government, Carlos Mazón, were also part of the group and faced insults and attacks during the visit. Residents of Paiporta yelled insults at the delegation, including "Assassins," "Resignation," and "Out, Out." President Sánchez had to be evacuated after being struck by an object thrown by protesters, who also chased and hit his car. Ignoring his security detail's recommendations, the king chose to remain and attempted to talk to and calm down the demonstrators. King Felipe asked his bodyguards to remove the umbrellas protecting him and went over to talk to the people. He could be seen talking to them and hugging them. Queen Letizia, who was evacuated shortly after Sánchez, was seen with mud and tears in her eyes while the residents of Paiporta complained about the government's actions. The king and queen were scheduled to visit another affected town in the region, Chiva, but their visit was canceled following the events in Paiporta. He stated that it is essential to provide "hope" to those affected, "to assist them during the emergency, but also to assure them that the State, in its entirety, is present." Hours later, through the official media of the Royal Household, Felipe VI said he understood “the anger and frustration” of those affected. Six days after the hurricane, Spanish authorities have increased the death toll to 217, and the search for missing persons is ongoing.