This Monday in Madrid, the Kings presided over the twentieth anniversary of 11-M in an event held within the framework of the European Day in memory of the Victims of Terrorism to whom they have conveyed their “solidarity as well as the full support of all the institutions and of EU citizenship”.
In the presence of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, the presidents of the Senate and Congress, Pedro Rollán and Francina Armengol, respectively, as well as various European authorities such as the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johanson, Felipe VI recalled how Madrid, immersed in a “great commotion”, was an “example of solidarity that we continue to admire 20 years later.”
“In seconds or minutes we were all clear about the malicious and murderous nature of that horror that instantly caused a knot in our stomach that would take a long time to disappear and that, in fact, survives when we remember it,” said the monarch, who also maintained that “memory, along with justice and truth, is a commitment that just societies make with the victims of terrorism to restore and protect their dignity.”
The Kings, whose first official appearance as engaged was precisely at the funeral for the victims of the attack that shook the country exactly 20 years ago today, have highlighted that “our common feeling is that of solidarity with the victims… unconditional… , from the heart.” And after that they have reiterated their “commitment to continue doing everything necessary so that they feel recognized, cared for and protected.”
“The victims of terrorism are an ethical reference in our democratic systems and human values, they symbolize the permanent need and commitment to defend freedom and the rule of law,” he praised before asking for improvements to “effectively address them” by reinforcing of European cooperation.
Upon his turn to speak, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has claimed the need to remember the victims of terrorism for their “dignity” but also to defend Human Rights and reinforce the rule of law with which “they want to end the terrorists.”
“Madrid was, 20 years ago, a shocked, deeply wounded city.” “Whoever knew that extreme manifestation of violence up close will never be able to forget it, just as cities like New York, London, Paris, Nice, Barcelona, ??Oslo, Brussels and so many others will never forget,” she listed.
The leader of the Executive has emphasized the need to “remember as a matter of dignity”, while insisting on “claiming the principles of coexistence, of respect as the best antidote against terrorist violence and its breeding ground, fanaticism, lack of reason, intolerance”. And he has warned “the fanatics, whatever their sign,” that “they will never be able to destroy the hallmarks of Europe such as democracy and the rule of law.”
Ylva Johanson, for her part, has questioned several victims of terrorism present at the event, reiterating that “they are not alone.” The European Commissioner for Home Affairs has stated that “Spain is a pioneer in supporting victims, they have decades of tragic experience.”
Ana Cristina López, whose husband died in the attacks, has also spoken. On behalf of the victims of 11-M, López has asked the authorities “to never stop being on the right side, that of the victims.” “That is the side of the brave, and that is hard,” she stressed before urging governments “to know who they are with.”
The event was held in the Royal Collections Gallery and featured testimonies from victims and survivors because, according to the European Commission, “their voices are powerful and necessary in the fight against terrorism and radicalization.”
The most notable absence has been that of the leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, although sources from Moncloa have explained that the event has been “organized by the European Union” underlining that “the invitations have been provided by the European Commission.”
Previously, the tribute organized by the Community of Madrid was held in Puerta del Sol, in which the regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, and the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, participated, along with the leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who was not invited to the event held in the Royal Collections Gallery and who has called to remember the victims and to keep “the pain of a country always in mind.”
Next to the plaque that has been commemorating the victims on the Sol façade since 2004, and without there having been a single reference to the radical Islam that devised and carried out the tragic attacks, the representatives of the associations have paid tribute to both the victims and the the security forces, health workers and citizens who helped on that fateful March 11.
Ayuso began his intervention by recalling that Madrid is still unable to “assimilate so much pain and cruelty”, although the commitment to “the memory of each and every one of the victims” remains. And in his most explicit reference to the current political context, he has highlighted that “freedom is defended by exercising it in the face of threats and blackmail.”
Almeida, for his part, has stressed that “all terrorism is inadmissible, there are no gradations or exceptions of any kind and in Spain we know it well, too well. We are a nation that unfortunately knows what the immense pain of terrorist attacks is. The history of democratic Spain has been forged on the heart, courage and sacrifice of those who lost their lives to terrorism and it is from the victims from whom every day we obtain an indelible, unforgettable lesson that must always remain in our memory.” , he proclaimed.
