Thousands protest one year after deadly floods – DW – 10/25/2025

Thousands of people protested in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia on Saturday, a year after floods killed 229 people.

Protesters were demanding the resignation of regional leader Carlos Mazzone over his handling of the disaster.

They displayed banners with messages such as “Mazon to jail” and chanted, “They did not die, they were murdered.”

With a total of 229 deaths, it was Europe’s worst flood-related disaster since 1967.

Thousands of people gather for a demonstration on the first anniversary of the Dana disaster in Valencia, Spain on October 25, 2025
Regional leader Carlos Mazon is under heavy pressure, with regular protests against him on or around the monthly anniversaries of the disasterImage: George Gill/Europa Press/dpa/Picture Alliance

Spain’s deadliest flood in modern history

The Mazzone administration has been heavily criticized for issuing the alert too late.

The warning came more than 12 hours after the national weather agency issued the highest warning level for torrential rain.

Residents told Spanish media that by the time they received the message the dirty water was already engulfing their cars, flooding streets and entering their homes.

Under Spain’s decentralized system, the management of disasters falls under the authority of regional governments.

However, Mazzone claimed that his administration lacked the information needed to issue a warning sooner and said that the magnitude was unexpected.

Thousands of people gather for a demonstration on the first anniversary of the DANA disaster in Valencia, Spain on October 25, 2025
According to the central government office in Valencia, more than 50,000 people took part in the protests.Image: Alex Juarez/Anadolu/Picture Alliance

A judicial inquiry into the emergency response is ongoing.

On the day of the flood, Mazzone had an hour-long lunch with a local journalist who had been summoned by the court on Thursday.

Spain’s Valencia region is considering future flood protection

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Edited by: Wesley Dockery

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