Sunday’s march in front of Cortes Valencia in Valencia demanded “Mazón a presó” (Mazón to prison) and not to negotiate the future of Valencians in Madrid, five days after he announced his resignation as state president and in the midst of negotiations between the People’s Party and Vox to find the person who will replace him in office.
The protest was called by Acord Social Valencià, a platform with the support of more than 200 social, civil and trade union entities that over the past year has organized a demonstration every month under the slogan “Mazzone’s resignation” to demand the departure of the state president due to his “disastrous management” of Aldana. In this new protest, supported by other organizations such as the CGT, the slogan was changed to “Mazzone, prisoner” to demand that he be left behind and put on trial, that his entire “negligent” council resign, and that the people participate in a “real and effective” reconstruction process.
Before the event, attendees posted signs reading “Mazón a presó” (Mazón to prison) with an image of the president still upside down who can also be seen represented in a prisoner’s uniform.
Some relatives displayed pictures of the victims with messages such as “they died because of your incompetence” or “murderers” and asked for “justice” for them.
Before reading the statement, the president of the Association of Dana Victims, Rosa Alvarez, stressed that they “will not” agree to the imposition of a “government in the Valencian Community” from Madrid, and stressed that Mazzone’s resignation “is not enough” because “dignity, justice and reparations have not yet been achieved and responsibilities have not been taken.”
For this reason, Marilu Gradoli, president of the Association of Victims of Dana 29 October 2024, demanded “the resignation of the entire council” because it “does not deserve” because it “abandoned the people of Valencia on the day they needed it most.”
Among the chants that were repeated were: “Mazon to prison” and “Volim Vote” (We want to vote); “Susana Camarero takes us to the slaughterhouse” or “The Popular Party, a criminal party.”
This appointment comes in the first weekend after the first contact on Friday between Vox and PP to negotiate a replacement for Carlos Mazzone at the head of the general mandate, and at the present time, no information has emerged from the two parties about any progress in the negotiations.
The gathering comes just one year after the first demonstration that took place in the city of Valencia to demand Mazzone’s resignation, just eleven days after the start of October 29, 2024, in which more than 130,000 people participated, according to the government delegation. The organizers indicated that today’s event “commemorates the memory of that event that led to the emergence of the movement.”
This was followed by 11 more demonstrations, one every month around the 29th, organized mostly in the capital of Valencia, but also in the municipalities located in the so-called “Zone Zero” of the Dana, such as Cataruga and Piporta, organized by more than 200 entities and with associations of victims of the Dana at its head.
In the statement, they demanded that Mazzone hand over his report and appear before the court and that his entire council bear responsibility, in addition to “transparency” in institutions to know “what reconstruction funds are being spent on,” a ban on construction in flood-prone areas and on the waterfront and an increase in taxes on high incomes, among other demands.
Likewise, they called for “the participation of people from affected cities in the reconstruction,” a housing solution for those who lost everything, and “an end to the re-victimization” of affected people.
They said at the event: “We have achieved the first goal – Mazzone’s resignation – and we seek the following: to get out of the council and with Mazzone in prison.”
Hundreds of participants in the protest in front of the Autonomous Parliament, who filled the Piazza San Lorenzo where it is located, and filled from side to side the wide facade of the institution, where Mazzone’s replacement for the presidency will be elected, ended the event by offering flowers.
They explained that they first lifted carnations, roses and other white flowers – as many as 231 flowers for each of Dana’s victims – and then placed them on the doors of Les Cortes.
About The Author
