Anniversary of 11-M 2004: March 2005

[Elsa M.]

From Sic / Agência Lusa:

http://sic.sapo.pt/index.php?article=17353&visual=3&area_id=2


The king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, paid today homage to the victims of the attacks of 11 March 2004 in Madrid, in the closing ceremony of the Conference on Terrorism and Democracy. The Spanish monarch formulated votes that this conference (which congregates in Madrid, since Tuesday, about 200 specialists of 50 countries) will serve "to eliminate terrorism from the surface of the planet, and to send a clear message to its authors" on the determination of the international community.

"We will never be able to forget the intense suffering of hundreds of families affected" by the attacks perpetrated in Madrid, on the 11th of March of 2004, and which caused the dead to 191 people and wounded 1900 "martyrs of the freedom and democracy", declared Juan Carlos.

In his own and queen Sofia's name, the monarch paid homage to the victims and thanked the accomplishment of this conference, "as a demonstration of solidarity against terrorism", to mark one year on the attacks perpetrated in the Spanish capital.

"Terrorism is a inhuman and unjustifiable phenomenon, totally unacceptable for Democracy and we can yield nor before its threats nor its blackmails", defended the Spanish king. "The free and democratic societies" cannot yield before the terrorist violence, having to join on the fight against this phenomenon and "those who hide or support it", said Juan Carlos I, at the end of the summit.

 

[Elsa M.]

From La Casa del Rey:

1. KJC and QS offered a lunch to the attending Heads of Delegation and special guests of the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security, organized by the Club of Madrid with the endorsement of the Government of Spain, the Community of Madrid and the City council of Madrid;

2. the King and Queen presided over the closing session of the Summit. Don Juan Carlos paid a moved tribute to the victims of terrorism and all their relatives; and pleaded for the unit, determination and cooperation, as unquestionable pieces to fight against terrorism.

 

[Elsa M.]

These are the acts, which King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Asturias, will attend today, in tribute to the victims of the attacks of 11-M 2004:

12:00 a.m. - inauguration of the "Forest of the Absentees", at the Park of the Retirement;

8:00 p.m. - mass celebrated in the Almudena cathedral, by the cardinal archbishop of Madrid, Antonio Maria Rouco.

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

I think should we make a thread for pics and informations about this?Because it will be a memory to remember about the victims.That was so terrible.Many people died.So i think if can we make a thread about it for remember the victims.It's only my idea,if u agree we can make if u do not agree, it's OK.

 

[Elsa M.]

Anniversary of 11-M 2004

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2005/03/11/espana/1110524359.html


The Kings will preside over the inauguration of the "Forest of the Absentees" with a floral offering. Accompanying them there will be the Princes of Asturias, the presidents of the Government, Congress and Senate and representatives of the political parties, among them the leader of the opposition, the Madrilenian Mariano Rajoy, and the leaders Aguirre and Gallardón.

There will also be foreign chief executives, like the King of Morocco, who has traveled to Spain specifically for the occasion, aa well as twenty Chiefs of State, Security and of Government, who have attended the International Summit on Democracy and Terrorism, which is being celebrated from day 8th. Among them, there will be the Secretary General of United Nations, Kofi Annan; the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai; the president of Senegal, Adboulay Wade; the president of Mauritania, Maauiya Uld you go Amhed Taya; the president of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio; the Great Duke of Luxembourg; the High Representative of the UE for the foreign policy and of security, Javier Solana; the president of the European Parliament; and ambassadors of the sixteen countries that lost to some of their citizens in the attacks.

The act, without speeches, will close with the interpretation of "the Cant dels ocells", by Pau Casals, followed by five minutes of silence. A quiet concentration will be repeated, as tribute to the victims, in the Spanish municipalities, by initiative of the FEMP and the Government.

At 8:00 p.m., the homage will be transferred to the Cathedral of the Almudena, where a funeral in memory of the victims will be celebrated by the cardinal archbishop of Madrid, Rouco Varela, with the presence of the Kings, the Princes of Asturias and the head of the Government.

 

[carlota]

My condolences

Just a quick message to show my condolences for all the families involved in the most important european terrorist attack. As spanish that I am I consider that message should be more present than what royals do because of the anniversary of the tragedy.

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Another photo:

 

[agisele]

I like the idea of the memorial very much, 192 planted trees for the 192 lives lost, it is beautiful

agreed, it's such a beautiful gesture, and one that will ensure that the memories of the dead will be carried on for many years to come.

i love the fact that they're olive trees as well, how symbolic.

 

[agisele]

p.s. i also like what letizia was wearing. sombre and appropriate.

 

[Elsa M.]

agreed, it's such a beautiful gesture, and one that will ensure that the memories of the dead will be carried on for many years to come.

Yes, it was a very touching ceremony, and the music played was absolutely moving.

i love the fact that they're olive trees as well, how symbolic.

They are not only olives, but cypresses, trees that have a whole symbolism related to immortality and resurrection.

 

[Elsa M.]

From Elmundo:

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2005/03/10/espana/1110489723.html

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

More pictures from Getty:

 

[GrandDuchess]

Here are pictures from IS:

 

[GrandDuchess]

More from IS:

 

[GrandDuchess]

Even though I haven't watched any news yet today, and therefore haven't seen more than still pictures from this - I must say that it feels like these commemorations were a very nice gesture of rememberance.

 

[Elsa M.]

More, from GettyImages:

 

[Elsa M.]

Still from GettyImages:

 

[micas]

All my love and suport for all that have lost some1 and for those who stay. And thanks alot for the corage.

 

[micas]

Peace

 

[Elsa M.]

Video from Telecinco:

http://www.informativos.telecinco.es/reproductor_video.htm?idSkin=218&urlVideo=mms://media.telecinco.es/telecinco/informativos/informativos_ba/050311actos.wmv

 

[carlota]

who is that woman letizia is hugging?

 

[Elsa M.]

Photos from Cover:

 

[Elsa M.]

KJC, QS and the Princes greet Madrid archbishop Jose Maria Rouco Varela, at their arrival for a memorial mass at the Almudena Cathedral. This mass was attended by the entire royal family.From GettyImages:

 

[pdas1201]

Please see the link provided below from Yahoo. It has a slideshow depicting people's pain on this "day of horror." It has beautiful pictures of how people in their own way paid tribute to the departed.


http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050311/ap_on_re_eu/spain_bombings

I have taken several pics of the Royal Couple from the slideshow and posted them here.

 

[Alexandria]

Thank you for all the pictures everyone.

I caught a segment of the comemmoration this morning on the news and I was so touched. They showed the King and Queen and Felipe and Letizia bowing their heads during the five minutes of silence. I was really touched to see how (still) deeply moved and affected the royal family seemed one year later.

I also saw some pictures of empty chairs in front of the Reina Sofia Museum as an "installation exhibit" to mark all the lives lost one year ago. The planting of the cypress trees is also a lovely touch.

Amidst all the glamour and fashion watching of Frederik and Mary and Victoria in Australia, today's somber comemmoration and honour of the lives so tragically taken in Madrid a year ago reminds us of another important role of royals: To lead and unite when times are difficult.

 

[lapopdiva]

who is that woman letizia is hugging?

She is Ana Maria Vidal,the President of the Association Victims of the terrorism.
See video on antena3
http://www.antena3.com/a3n2004/servlet/Noticias?destino=../a3n/noticia/noticia.jsp&sidicom=si&id=9010541

 

[agisele]

Thank you for all the pictures everyone.

I caught a segment of the comemmoration this morning on the news and I was so touched. They showed the King and Queen and Felipe and Letizia bowing their heads during the five minutes of silence. I was really touched to see how (still) deeply moved and affected the royal family seemed one year later.

I also saw some pictures of empty chairs in front of the Reina Sofia Museum as an "installation exhibit" to mark all the lives lost one year ago. The planting of the cypress trees is also a lovely touch.

Amidst all the glamour and fashion watching of Frederik and Mary and Victoria in Australia, today's somber comemmoration and honour of the lives so tragically taken in Madrid a year ago reminds us of another important role of royals: To lead and unite when times are difficult.

well said Alexandria.

 

[Elsa M.]

From Elmundo:

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2005/03/11/espana/1110569458.html



The acts for the anniversary of 11-M remembered this Friday the victims of the attacks, with the presence of millions of citizens. The cardinal and archbishop of Madrid, Antonio Maria Rouco, celebrated a funeral mass, in which assured that terrorism will never have the last word, nor in the life of the towns, nor in the determination of its destinies.

More than one thousand people, half of them relatives of the victims, attended the religious memorial of the 192 people, who died a year ago. The attendants received the arrival of the Kings to the temple with applauses. Previously, Rouco Varela had given the welcome to the members of the Royal Family, on the stairs of the main access to the cathedral and accompanied them until the place reserved for them, on the right hand of the altar.

Silence and contained emotion (even if sometimes the tears could not be avoided) dominated the funeral, which began after the national hymn was listened, when the Royal Family entered the temple.

In his homily, the archbishop of Madrid alluded to the last book of John Paul II, "Memory and identity", where the Pontiff speaks on the "ill ideologies", and indicates among them "the contemporary theories that try to justify and/or to explain the present terrorism, concealing the hate that feeds them".

"A year ago - he said - we were gathered at this cathedral of Our Lady of the Almudena, as children who, before an enormous drama, tighten themselves next to their mother, to mitigate the pain and to wipe their tears".

The archbishop of Madrid added that "today, as yesterday, we take shelter on the fraternal communion that Christ has settled down between men, to console us with the certainty that death is not the last reality of the human life".



Assistants to the ceremony

All the Royal Family - the Kings, the Princes of Asturias and Dukes of Lugo and Palma - attended the funeral, which began at eight in the afternoon and was extended for something more than one hour.

It was also attended by the president of the Government, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, accompanied by his wife, Sonsoles Espinosa, in addition to the ministers of Justice (Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar) and Public Administrations, Jordi Sevilla. There was also was the president of PP, Mariano Rajoy.

The presidents of the Congress and Senado, Manuel Marín and Javier Rojo; of the General Council of the Judicial Power, Francisco Jose Hernando; of the Constitutional Court, Maria Emilia Casas; of the Council of State, Francisco Rubio Llorente, and the Defender of the Town, Enrique Múgica, were also present in this funeral for the victims of 11-M, next to other civilian and military authorities of the Community and the City council of Madrid.

On the banks of the Almudena they were also the General Secretary of UGT, Cándido Méndez, and CC.OO., Jose Maria Fidalgo, and the leader of Izquierda Unida, Gaspar Llamazares.

There were also wounded people in the attacks and relatives of the victims. At the doors of the temple, hundreds of people remained in the street, as were not able to accede to its interior.



Quiet concentrations

In all the Spanish cities, millions of people in quiet concentrations remembered at noon the 191 assassinated people of 11-M. At the same hour, the Kings of Spain added themselves to the silence and inaugurated, at the Park of the Retirement of Madrid, the Forest of the Absentees, a park of 192 cypresses and olive trees, in memory to the deaths.

The official doors of the City councils and other institutions, the work centers, the streets and squares were scene to the concentrations of five minutes, summoned by the Government and the Federation of Municipalities, and that were accompanied by the interruption by diverse transport services and of the commercial activity of many companies.

At the same hour, in the Retirement, the King and Queen presided over the act with a floral offering. They were accompanied by the Princes of Asturias, the presidents of the Government, Congress and Senate, and representatives of the political parties, among them the leader of the opposition, the Madrilenian Mariano Rajoy, and leaders Aguirre and Gallardón.

There were also foreign executive chiefs, like the King of Morocco, who has travelled to Spain specifically for the occasion, and twenty representatives of Security Government and Chiefs of State, who have attended the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism, celebrated since day 8th.

Among them there were the General Secretary of the United Nations, Kofi Annan; the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai; the president of Senegal, Adboulay Wade; the president of Mauritania, Maauiya Uld you go Amhed Taya; the president of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio; the Great Duke of Luxembourg; the High Representative of the UE for the foreign policy and of security, Javier Solana; the president of the European Parliament, Jose Borrell; and ambassadors of the 16 countries that lost some of their citizens in the attacks.

Tribute at 7:37 a.m.

The anniversary began very early in Madrid, at the same hour the attacks took place: at 7:37 in the morning. Then the bells of the 650 churches of the city started to double, while, at the Puerta del Sol, before the facade of the regional seat of the government, the president of the Community, Esperanza Aguirre, accompanied by representatives of the victims, deposited a crown of laurel.

With the flags of all the official buildings in mourning position, five minutes of silence were kept at the same hour of the attacks.

The mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, and several councilmen participated next to many citizens in the five minutes of silence kept in the station of Atocha at 7:37 a.m.. Although the movement of trains was normal to that hour, the atmosphere among the passengers was different and touching, and the memory of what happened was reflected on the face of all.

 

[Elsa M.]

As part of the first anniversary of the 11th March terrorist attacks, a funeral-mass was celebrated yesterday at 8 p.m. in Madrid cathedral of La Almudena, with the attendance of the Spanish Royal Family and different government representatives.
Photos from ImagineScandinavia:

 

[isabella_]

Thanks everyone for all the pics.

Yesterday was a very sad day in Spain...