A new demonstration of Dana Valencia’s administration – more than 2,000 people according to the government delegation – roamed the streets of the capital on Saturday with the fulfillment of its main demand: the resignation of Carlos Mazón as state president. Once the politician’s resignation was achieved, more than 200 entities and unions, which had been calling for protests every month for more than a year against the Mazzone administration and his government before, during and after the tragedy, are now demanding that he hand over his deputy’s certificate and testify before the Cataroga judge who is investigating what happened. The collective cry during the march was: “Mazon to prison.”
In a march that was smaller than the previous march — which was the first anniversary of the tragedy, with about 50,000 people participating, according to the government delegation at the time — there were two large puppets, one representing Mazzone, dressed as a prisoner, and the other wearing a suit and tie bearing a picture of Pérez Jurca. At approximately six o’clock in the afternoon, the march began amidst warm applause from those present in the victims’ groups that opened the demonstration.
Rosa Alvarez, spokeswoman for the Dana 29-O Victims Association, at the head of the march, reflected after Juanfran Pérez Jurca announced last Thursday in Valencia Cortes that he would apologize to the victims once he becomes president next Tuesday: “This general tolerance will remain a toast to the sun if there is no taking responsibilities. It must be a consistent approach because we are talking about 229 people. We are not talking about envelopes or braces or Jokes. “Let them realize that they have the information and that for whatever reason they did not take appropriate action,” he stressed.
Alvarez also referred to Mazzone’s resignation as president but to his refusal so far to hand over the deputy’s testimony. “He is no longer president, but continues as a regional (and qualified) deputy, maintains the register, and it is very strange that he does not want to go to ordinary justice, thus missing an opportunity, risking everything, in the Supreme Court of Justice of the Valencian Community,” Álvarez noted.
On this occasion, victims’ associations complained about the treatment received by the authorities after the local police forced them, as Alvarez denounced, to change the starting point of the demonstration up to three times, which, in principle, started from the Town Hall Square, which today is crowded with people because of the spectacle that accompanies the lighting of the Christmas lights every day. The leader of the demonstration was to put you at the end of the Calle de las Barcas and from there continue to the Plaza de Porta de la Mar, where the end was. “We’re annoying them, and commercialism is king,” Alvarez complained. The associations hope that the fence will be further tightened around those responsible.
Marilu Gradoli, a representative of another victim group, called for the resignation of the Mazzone government in Valencia. “We came because we have to continue to demand the resignation of the entire council because not all responsibilities have been taken, and we demand that Mazzone leave the register of his deputy and go directly to testify in court.” At his side, Toni Garcia, the wife and mother of two of those who died in Dana, is demanding that Mazzone return home from the hundred or so state government officials who gave a long ovation to Mazzone on October 29, the first anniversary of the tragedy, after his institutional announcement in Palau. He adds: “We have all the support of the community and we will continue to fight until we can know the truth, which we are learning little by little. They continue to lie and we want truth, justice, reparation, memory and dignity for all our dead.”
The Association of Dana Horta Sud Victims also joined the demonstration to support the families of the dead victims. Regarding reconstruction, he said it was as it was in the beginning. Its spokeswoman Noelia Pascual denounced, saying: “It is enough for us to go to the affected municipalities or regions. We have been abandoned.” In fact, banners can be seen among the demonstrators reading “New cars, empty houses” or “My parents are 88 years old and they don’t need a new car but an elevator.”
Amid the flood of people, a member of the so-called local Emergency and Reconstruction Committees, with a megaphone in his hand, anticipated the interview given to the television program by the former Minister of Emergency and accused by the Cataruga judge, Salome Pradas. Save, It presents new data and impressions about the tragic day of the flood and the role of Mazoun. “Hurry up, Carlitos!” He said sarcastically.
Pilar, 34, is from Alginate, a town that also suffered damage although it was not as affected as Bayporta, Cataruga or Alfavar, and lives in Barcelona. But he comes every month to the demonstrations to support the families and those affected. We have been fighting for a whole year for this man’s resignation (referring to Mazzone), and now that we have achieved this, we want Valencia not to be sold to the far right in exchange for that resignation. “Everything is clear and we know the judge is doing a great job collecting the evidence, so let’s hope so.”
At the end of the protest, organizers acknowledged that “the day was not easy” and expressed their disagreement with the low attendance estimates provided by the authorities. They then read a statement insisting that Mazzone and his entire government shoulder their responsibilities in managing the tragedy, putting an end to “the lies and lack of transparency in the institutions of the Valencian government.” They also stressed, as on other occasions, the need for contingency plans and condemned the implementation of the reconstruction process without taking into account the people and groups affected. Finally, they demanded better public services, “not charity,” and the establishment of proper schools instead of “barracks.”