Alex Trelinski
THE ninth demonstration demanding the resignation of Valencian president Carlos Mazon over his handling of the October 29 floods was held in a ‘ground-zero’ town for the first time.
Tuesday evening’s protest in Catarroja was timed to coincide with the nine-month point following the disaster.
Previous demonstrations were held in Valencia City, with the Catarroja rally attracting 1,500 people- according to the Government Delegate’s department.
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The floods killed 228 people and yesterday’s demonstration started with a memorial service in the town’s Parque de les Barraques.
A commemorative mural was created and an olive tree planted to remember the deceased.
As in previous protests, participants carried posters and banners calling for Carlos Mazon’s resignation and branding him a murderer.
The president of the DANA 29-O Fatal Victims Association, Rosa Alvarez, said: “303 days have passed since the homicide of our relatives.
“We are stronger although every day it is more difficult for us emotionally, but we are not going to stop.”
Referring to Mazon, Alvarez stated: “This murderer has to leave and we can’t take it any longer for even an extra day.”
“We won’t stop until goes along with all the people who support him.”
Following the memorial service, the demonstrators moved towards Catarroja’s Plaza de la Llotgeta led by families of the victims, with residents applauding from their balconies.
In the square, a manifesto was read out pointing to the rally being a tribute to everybody who died as a result of the ‘disastrous’ handling of the floods.
It stated that Catarroja is ‘suffering the consequences of the flood with the continued policies of death and plunder perpetuated by Carlos Mazon and his government’.
“Burst sewers, elevators stuck forever on the top floor, schools becoming shacks,” the manifesto said.
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