At the protest in Paiporta on Sunday there was sadness and anger, naturally. There were also the usual hooligans, shouting their usual cries and insults. The mud is not limited to what the rains and floods left behind, there is also what the scavengers of the extreme right drag in, hanging around the places of misfortune pretending to be volunteers in the rescue and clean-up work. They all found themselves in the same place and the result is what it is. The booing and mud throwing by the neglected, helpless, devastated and cheated population responds to a just indignation, and it is good that the rulers receive it and know it first hand.
Now, things turned out in such a way that everything suited the Spanish right's taste. To sum up, the kings of Spain came out with an image of generous, brave monarchs, loved by the people. Pedro Sánchez, on the other hand, came out attacked (he was beaten, and the rear window of his official car was smashed) and with cries of cowardice, gos and other compliments. Mazón, for his part, literally collapsed.
There is no need to construct conspiracy theories, the facts are eloquent. On Sunday evening, a small far-right group, Revuelta, claimed responsibility for the attack against Pedro Sánchez on social media: they cannot help it, they are lost in their mouths and they need to brag, to boast about their exploits. For its part, Vox offered its legal services to those who had damaged the Spanish president's car. On social media, such stimulating public figures as the Marchioness Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo or the pseudo-writer Arturo Pérez-Reverte enthusiastically applauded the events, without sparing further insults against Sánchez. The party of the liberal centre and moderation, the PP, limited itself to making a tweet thanking King Felipe and Queen Letizia for their "“exemplary behavior”, without condemning the fact that the president of his beloved Spain had been attacked. The next day, his press went exactly in that direction.
The idea of attacking Pedro Sánchez has been floating around for some time, with little or no concealment, among the leaders of the Spanish right. Apart from the loudmouths who have occasionally uttered threats, it was a very present idea in the massive right-wing protests on Ferraz Street a year ago. For his part, King Felipe VI's behaviour in the face of the Valencian flood tragedy had been limited until Sunday to taking a photo dressed in khaki, which was not widely circulated. On Sunday, he and Letícia made amends by acting as good kings who let themselves be touched by the populace. It seems incredible that they still have such an easy time getting forgiveness for the overwhelming evidence of corruption that discredits not only the emeritus king, but also the entire Crown.
To those Catalan patriots who were excited at the thought of attending the Bastille raid, I would just like to point out that Felipe VI, and the Crown, have emerged stronger from the episode. Be careful not to let yourself be carried away by the populist that we all carry within.
