Over 50,000 Protest Valencia Floods, Demand Mazón Jailed

More than 50,000 people marched through Valencia on the first anniversary of last October’s flash floods that killed 229, demanding the resignation and imprisonment of regional leader Carlos Mazón and carrying photos of victims. Protesters and survivors say Mazón’s administration issued mobile flood alerts too late, more than 12 hours after the national weather agency’s highest warning, leaving many trapped. Critics note Mazón attended an hours‑long lunch and was photographed receiving awards on the day; he says his government lacked the information to warn earlier. The floods, caused by a DANA weather system linked to climate change, swept through 78 municipalities, destroyed infrastructure, and were Europe’s worst flood-related disaster since 1967. A judicial investigation into the emergency response is underway, and a victim’s body was still found a year later. Under Spain’s decentralized disaster-management system, scrutiny of Mazón’s leadership has intensified amid calls for accountability and justice for victims.