Mud & Insults hurled at King of Spain

[PrettyFlyforaMaiTai]

Angry survivors and protesters hurled mud and insults at King Felipe as he visited one of the worst towns affected by the floods

news.sky.com/story/angry-crowds-hurl-mud-and-insults-at-king-of-spain-as-he-visits-town-devastated-by-floods-13247483

It's a tragic situation, they're obviously lashing out, understandable and it often happens.

They want someone to blame and they can't blame Nature. He's a figurehead and an easy target.

Good on him for staying out there and not running away.

Several years ago I made the point that some people always look to BLAME someone for something bad which happens. I wasn't talking about the Spanish floods but I think the argument holds. If a priest had gone instead of the king do you think the members of the crowd would have blamed 'the church' and God?

I don't know enough about it to know if I would attribute blame to the Spanish equivalents of drainage boards and environmental agencies. From the news reports that I've heard I think the people are very angry about the amount of help they've had, or not had, as far as I can tell. I don't know how the Spanish monarch and parliament work. I imagine he's a figurehead, but maybe not.

Spain is a constitutional monarchy so no he doesn’t really have anything to do with the day to day running of the country

One report I read said that the local officials were also there and got attacked. The officials left quickly but the King and Queen stayed.

The anger is completely understandable, they want someone to blame, but I think in the future the fact that the royals stayed will will be appreciated.

Adding, from the BBC report it seems that the timing of the visit was a big problem. Sometimes it's better to wait.

One of the few roads which was cleared and open was closed for the royal convoy, this angered a lot of people.

QE2 waited to go to Aberfan and got wrong for waiting. Hard to know which to do.

Adding, from the BBC report it seems that the timing of the visit was a big problem. Sometimes it's better to wait.

Margaret Thatcher once said that when there's a disaster or some other major event, one's first impulse is to go there at once and see what's happening and talk to the people involved and show support. But then you realise you'll probably just be in the way, the people dealing with the emergency don't need the extra bother of dealing with VIPs, and it's better to wait until the immediate emergency is over.

But I should imagine the King and Queen of Spain were advised about the timing of their visit; they didn't just decide to turn up.

Yes it really is. I don't think they necessarily went at the wrong time, it was just what some were saying. Either way it's an awful awful event.

I need to look up how it all started - the flood, I mean.

Right, so huge rainfall caused it.
The Prime Minister went today and left after he'd been hit in the back by a shovel. As far as I can tell the King and Queen weren't hit by shovels.
There have been floods in that area before. Some sort of work was planned but in 2023 it was cancelled by a Valencian leader - something like Mazon. Sorry if I haven't remembered that properly. He wasn't there today. So who were they shouting "Assassino" at?
Edit - And today's demo was a bit organised by a right-wing person, Wiki says.

I must say that King Felipe at least tried to comfort several people who weeped on his shoulder. I hope he is able to help these people in whatever way he is able to.

What purpose do those visits serve ? It's all a bit condescending given all they will do is wander about expecting to be fawned over and then trot back to one of their palaces. I admire the Spanish for their reaction even if the King is not directly to blame, he is representing the state.

Yes, and I admire them both for staying and comforting people.

As to the point of the visits. The monarch represents the State. They are there to show people that their pain is seen and heard by the rest of the country. The late Queen visited many places after tragedies and it always seemed to have been appreciated. Sometimes it helps to know that our pain is seen, even if the person visiting can't do much to help beyond listening.

I have no idea how throwing mud at anyone is justifiable when it's the result of a natural event.

Have they been the victim of something else I don't know about? Even so what was the point of blaming a constitutional figure head?!

They were upset that they weren't given enough warning and the lack of help they've received since. That's what I gleaned from the news tonight. I don't think anyone is personally blaming the King or Queen for all the rain.

People are angry that they pay their taxes and get inadequate infrastructure, inadequate emergency responses, and inadequate assistance.

They still have possibly hundreds of bodies to find, identify and bury. I think on that day the King and Queen were seen as part of ‘the establishment’ group of visitors. If they dump the politicians for walkabouts and ask questions and listen to answers instead, privately, it would be more appreciated.

On another thread, a Spanish person has said that they feel that the King and Queen are being used by politicians to “hide behind” as it where

They've been left with decimated villages and towns, inadequate support to clear mud and bodies, and one of the only roads to have been cleared by authorities so far was the one to enable a royal visit.

These people have lost loved ones in awful circumstances. Personally, in the same circumstances, they'd be lucky if all I did was chuck a bit of mud at them, wafting into an area of devastation to make themselves feel better.

'to make themselves feel better' - maybe they did, maybe they wanted (as symbolic representatives of the nation) to recognise how horrendous it was and offer what support they could.

I can understand that (as symbolic representatives of the nation) they became a focus of anger.

I don't know them so can't say what their personal motivations were.

I think one of the main complaints is lack of warning.

In reality the government or people in authority probably can't do anything at all to stop, minimise, or divert a flood that was caused by a years rainfall in hours.

However from what I glean or understand, there were no (or very late) warnings for people to evacuate homes or leave work early in areas expected to be at risk... which meant a lot more people trapped or caught up in it. And the clear up/rescue operation has also been criticised.

I think most world leaders should look at the video and have a little think.

It is a window into what future social unrest could look like if climate issues and their results are not addressed.

Massive flooding and mud is a good example as it will be a constant in Europe. Profound and fast change is needed in order to be able to live with 3 meter walls of water being funneled through narrow streets.

A lot should have happened before and after the rain in Spain. And by before, I in the mean years and months.

Our political system is not built to cope with that as it runs on 4 yearly cycles. Some international body needs to set up with actual powers to act.

@MissRoseDurward
Re Mrs Thatcher visiting disaster victims/survivors - Her statement was a bit rich because she was always the first VIP to arrive. I remember her getting there before the Queen most of the time. In fact, it became so obvious after every calamity that a card was marketed (I bought one) to carry, stating that "In the event of an accident/disaster (forget which) I do NOT wish to be visited by Mrs Thatcher in hospital").

I think the real target of the mud was Government officials and the King and Queen got covered in mud too . If they came suited and booted then yes I could understand it . It they didn't come then that would have been wrong too . It must have been terrifying for them .

They were very angry about the lack of warning. People were already trapped in their cars when a warning went out on mobiles.

Also, knowing Spain very well, the drainage on roads is really really bad. I've waded up to my ankles across roads after nothing like this amount of rain.

It must have been terrifying for them

For the King and Queen? Or the people who had no notice of flooding that took over 200 lives?