The entourage of King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez and the Valencian president, Carlos Mazon, was advancing on one of the avenues of Paiporta towards the Sant Jordi Square. A few minutes earlier, hundreds of neighbors had received a chain of messages inviting them to come and express their outrage. While the procession barely had 50 meters left to reach this square, the locals began to throw mud at them and insult them. SO, Sánchez stops and separates from the group and retraces his steps towards his vehicle, protected by the umbrellas and shields of his escorts. Meanwhile, the King, Queen and Letizia they continue to move forward. The king even put aside the umbrella with which he was protected from the rain of mud. Later, Moncloa would cancel the visit to chivadespite the fact that Felipe VI had intended to leave.
The delegation’s visit went smoothly, partly thanks to encapsulated that Moncloa had imposed for the tour. No media. However, Zarzuela wished that the king and queen could approach the neighbors to hear their complaints.
Their vehicles are stopped about 100 meters from the Plaza de Sant Jordi de Paiporta, where there was a large crowd of residents. They had previously received messages informing them that the delegation was going to pass that way. As they approached on foot, the the insults started to intensify. Cries of “Sánchez and Mazón, resignation”. But everything takes a worrying turn when they start throwing mud balls, stones and objects at him.
At that point, the procession splits: Sánchez stops and his team begins to cover him with umbrellas and even portable shields carried by his escorts. He turns around, separates from the group of King, Queen and Mazonand begins to move backward at a rapid pace.
At this point, the group of King, Queen and Mazón continues to advance. With a firm but slow step, the group advances towards the neighbors, more and more angry. An umbrella covers the King to protect him from the rain of mud, but he subtly pushes him away and is exposed to whatever is thrown at it.
Sánchez flees
Sánchez, escorted and with his team activating a “security protocol», he heads towards his car and that of his companions, which are about fifty meters away. Along the way, he receives insults and even has mud and at least two sticks thrown at him, which do not hit him.
The footage shows him with a straight face, shaking his head, as he walks towards the all-terrain vehicle he is placed in and they maneuver to turn around. A woman hits the car with an umbrella. The neighbors continue to insult him, but the SUV quickly leaves the scene. On the way, a car carrying Moncloa personnel received a hail of blows and kicks.
The president’s entourage heads towards the outskirts of Paiporta, then goes to the CECOPIthe control center located in the safe zone of the port of Valencia. In the sky, their evacuation is followed by a Cuco, a Civil Guard helicopter. Sánchez’s vehicle is captured at full speed, escorted, fleeing Paiporta. The rear window is broken and muddy boot marks are printed all over the bodywork.
The king remains alone
Meanwhile, for half an hour, the king and queen talk with the neighbors. They ask them about their complaints, they try to calm them down. The security team tries to take the king to a vehicle. Several times. But he insists on speaking to another group of neighbors, then another. Finally, he left the scene when the situation returned to relative calm.
From there they planned to go to Chiva. But Moncloa changes her mind. The visit will continue to CECOPI, the place where Sánchez was evacuated.
Kings with neighbors
Affected but firm in his purpose, the King Felipe VI He preferred to stay in Paiporta and not withdraw in the face of the explosion of indignation from the victims and volunteers who have been working for days in the town devastated by DANA. After enduring the flood victims’ mud throwing, screams and insults, Felipe VI repeatedly asked to speak with the neighbors who had reprimanded him and he did so: “I want to know for myself why all the help they’re asking for hasn’t come sooner.”.
The king endured a rain of mudmade of wood and iron, but he did not leave and urged a young man who was scolding him from the second floor balcony to come down and talk. Amid a barrage of insults and objections to politicians and kings, Felipe VI asked his bodyguards to remove him. umbrellas who protected him, to directly contact the outraged people who asked him to take a shovel and start cleaning.
The Kings wanted to arrive earlier
From the start of the DANA tragedy, the desire of the kings was to visit the area affected by the disaster as quickly as possible, but their closest advisors They delayed the actual trip for a few days in the affected areas.
When authorities arrived in Paiporta today, five days after the events, chaos engulfed the situation. The procession was interrupted from the start and at the head the monarch and the president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, were isolated, separated from the rest. During the tour, dozens of people They were yelled at and objects were thrown at them and mud, while the police and civil guard tried to contain them and protect the authorities.
