Thousands of families, teachers, and union members gathered in Valencia on Saturday to demand action after catastrophic floods in eastern Spain. The floods, which struck on October 29, killed over 220 people and displaced thousands. They also severely disrupted education in Valencia and the surrounding region.
Protesters marched through the streets of Valencia, calling for the resignation of regional leader Carlos Mazon. They held signs criticizing the government’s slow response to the floods and the continued school closures. Nearly a month after the disaster, the government’s handling of the crisis remains highly controversial.
The teachers’ union, STEPV, accused the government of shifting cleanup duties onto teachers and volunteers. Many classrooms remain unusable, with 30 schools still closed, leaving 13,000 children without education.
Although the floods caused widespread destruction, five people are still missing in the region. Around 5,000 people joined the protest in Valencia, demanding faster action from the regional government.
“We feel abandoned,” said Marc Candela, a spokesperson for STEPV. Teachers, parents, and volunteers had to clean schools themselves, as many classrooms were left in poor condition.
A spokeswoman for the Valencian government stated that 32,000 students had returned to school by November 11. She mentioned “extraordinary cleaning tasks” in schools, but acknowledged that challenges remain. Education Minister Daniel McEvoy confirmed that “extraordinary measures” were being taken to safely reopen schools. Mazon admitted some errors but refused to step down, citing delays in flood warnings.
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