03/11/2008
The European Day of Terrorism Victims is celebrated today, on March 11th. This commemoration has its origins in 2004 March 11th attacks in Madrid and 2005 July 7th attacks in London.
At 12:00 (GMT+1) a ceremony was held in Madrid to pay tribute to the 192 mortal victims of 2004 March 11 bombings at the sculpture dedicated to the victims.
The Spanish king and newly re-elected prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero have leaded a wreath-laying ceremony Tuesday marking the Islamic terror bombings that killed 192 people at Madrid train stations four years ago. The event, being staged midday at a monument in the downtown Atocha train station, has included a minute of silence for the victims, who also included more than 1,800 wounded.
It has been the first time Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero appears in public with rival Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy since Spain's general elections on Sunday. Zapatero's Socialist Party won a second consecutive term in office, after a campaign still overshadowed by the Madrid train attacks. His party's first election victory on March 14, 2004, three days after the terror bombings, had overturned all predictions that the conservative Popular Party would retain power.
Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, Mayor of Madrid, and also other authorities have placed a laurel crown there. There has been a minute’s silence after this and Chapel Royal Chorus of Madrid has sung "Da pacen domine". Sonsoles Espinosa, Zapatero’s wife has also sung with the Chorus.
With no representatives of the victims
Apart from the authorities there has not been any representatives of the victims. Pilar Manjón, president of 11-M association, has been to another act, the one summoned by UGT and CCOO trade unions.
In the event, the former socialist city councilor Isaías Carrasco killed by the Basque armed group ETA last Friday was remembered.
Related to this, Manjón has pointed out that she thinks people there would understand today is a hard day. The terrorist band has murdered a worker, as the ones in 2004 March 11th.
Victims associations, on their own
The main victims associations of 2004 Madrid train bombings will remember the fourth anniversary with homage events in which floral offerings will be made in some of the train stations where bombs exploded and poems in memory of the 192 mortal will be read.
In relation to The European Day of Terrorism Victims, a floral offering has been placed in Alderdi Eder’s "Recuerdo" monolith at 18:00 in Donostia-San Sebastián.
Europe remembers Isaías Carrasco
To finish with, European Parliament President, Hans-Gert Pöttering, has dedicated his message to the former socialist city councilor Isaías Carrasco.
"ETA killed again a few days ago. Isaías Carrasco, former socialist city councilor was murdered ", the German Christian Democrat has said, who has expressed "his deepest symphaties" to the family of this last terror’s victim. "The memory of the terrorism victims do not erase from our minds", Pöttering has added.
Submit this story to:
Digg
Del.icio.us
Technorati
