A furious crowd chanted “murderer” and tossed mud at King Felipe as he visited the areas worst affected by Spain’s worst ever flood-related disaster.
Footage shows the moment the King was surrounded by angry locals who are still reeling as the death toll from the floods reaches 217 – and is likely to continue climbing.
Police officers on horseback had to keep back the crowd of several dozen.
The King and his wife, Queen Letizia, visited Valencia on Sunday with prime minister Pedro Sanchez. They met local officials, emergency responders and civilians.
Thousands of troops have been mobilised in what Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez called the “biggest operation by the Armed Forces in Spain in peacetime”.
It comes as fears grow that large numbers of bodies remain trapped underwater – including in the entirely submerged underground car park of Bonaire shopping centre, one of the largest in Spain.
Specialist scuba divers are now searching for bodies in the car park.
Eduardo Martinez, who works in the shopping centre, told ElDiario.es that some “ignored” advice from a security guard not to collect their cars from an underground car park when the flooding began.
In pictures: Queen Letizia appears to be in tears as she meets grieving residents
Alex Croft3 November 2024 15:02
‘We don’t have any water’: More on royals’ interaction with protestors
King Felipe and Queen Letizia walked into a crowd of angry protestors as they looked to speak with victims of the flood.
“Get out! Get out!” and “Killers!” were among the many insults shouted at them.
Bodyguards opened up their umbrellas to protect the royals and officials from the mud raining down on them after being slung by grieving protestors.
King Felipe, with flecks of mud on his face, appeared to remain calm as he made efforts to speak with individual residents.
It is an unprecedented incident for the King of Spain to be embedded within an furious crowd, who aired their grievances at what they believe was a slow and failed emergency response from Spanish authorities.
Queen Letizia also spoke to residents within the crowd. “We don’t have any water,” one woman told her.
After around half an hour, the monarchs got in official cars and left with a mounted police escort. One woman hit an official car with an umbrella before it sped off.
Alex Croft3 November 2024 14:43
Police step in on horseback as prime minister withdraws
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez was evacuated from the scene of protests in Paiporta as police on horseback attempted to manage the crowd.
But King Felipe and his entourage stayed to speak with angry locals, despite having to initially withdraw from the scene of protest.
Police on horses attempted to get the crowd under control, some wielding shovels and poles.
Alex Croft3 November 2024 14:23
Watch: Full coverage of King Felipe’s visit to Valencia on Sunday
Watch the full coverage of King Felipe’s interaction with a furious crowd in Valencia earlier today.
The crowd gathered before King Felipe’s arrival around 23 minutes into the coverage. The crowd starts shouting at the King who, surrounded by his security entourage, goes to speak with them.
Alex Croft3 November 2024 14:06
Pictured: Protestors slings mud at King Felipe
A protestor slung a piece of mud at King Felipe amid major protests in the Paiporta region of Valencia – where 60 of the 217 flood victims died.
The mud was intercepted by one of King Felipe’s security team.
Alex Croft3 November 2024 13:51
King embraces man ‘crying on his shoulder’
Pictures have emerged of King Felipe embracing a man, who was reportedly crying on his shoulder.
The King was surrounded by hundreds of protestors angry at the slow warning and response to Tuesday and Wednesday’s devastating flooding.
Alex Croft3 November 2024 13:40
‘Nobody did anything to avoid it’, King Felipe told by protestor
Hundreds of people joined protests as King Felipe and prime mininster Pedro Sanchez visited the affected areas of the floods.
Local residents believe alerts from the authorities about the dangers of Tuesday’s storm and the possible flooding were slow. They are also angry about a perceived late response by the emergency services after the disaster.
“It was known and nobody did anything to avoid it,” one young man told the King.
Alex Croft3 November 2024 13:31
Furious crowd shouts ‘murderer’ at King Felipe
King Felipe of Spain has been met with chants of “murderer” as he visits the devastated areas of Valencia.
The King and his wife, Queen Letizia, visited Valencia with prime minister Pedro Sanchez, where they met local officials, emergency responders and civilians.
But dramatic footage now shows a furious crowd surrounding the King, shouting “murderer” in Spanish as the community reels from the devastating floods.
Some have accused the Spanish government of a slow response to the flooding.
Alex Croft3 November 2024 13:04
Fears of many dead in submerged underground car park
Specialist divers have entered the underground car park of Bonaire shopping centre, where it is feared some were trapped while trying to leave with their vehicles.
Authorities are also pumping water out of the car park in a process which could take days, Sky News reported.
Eduardo Martinez works in the shopping centre, which is one of Spain’s largest. He decided to leave his vehicle in the car park after he found himself in waist high water when he tried to drive home.
Mr Martinez instead chose to spend the night in a top-floor cinema, he told ElDiario.es.
But he said that many people “ignored” advice from a security guard not to collect their cars from an underground car park when the flooding began.
“No-one knows for sure how many people there might still be down there,” he added.
Alex Croft3 November 2024 12:38
King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Spanish PM arrive in Valencia
King Felipe VI of Spain has arrived in Valencia to visit the areas devastated by Spain’s worst flooding in modern history.
He has been joined by Queen Letizia and Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez as they meet survivors, rescue workers and local officials.
Alex Croft3 November 2024 12:05