On the occasion of this European Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Terrorism, commemorations took place in Spain and France.
20 years ago today, Spain was hit by terrorism. This Monday, March 11, the country pays tribute to the 192 victims of 17 nationalities, killed in bomb attacks claimed by Al-Qaeda. Around 7:30 a.m., during rush hour, ten devices exploded in the space of a few minutes aboard four commuter trains at Atocha station in Madrid.
Since then, March 11 has become the “European Day of Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism.
The Spanish royal family as well as the head of government Pedro Sánchez attended the ceremony chaired by European Commissioner Ylva Johansson, who launched an appeal to fight against terrorism.
“Today we remember with words, and tomorrow we will remember with action, supporting victims and fighting terrorism.”
On the occasion of this European Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Terrorism, France, a country also hit by terrorism, chose the city of Arras to pay tribute to the victims. It is in this town located in the north of France that a literature teacher at the Cité Scolaire Gambetta-Carnot, Dominique Bernard, aged 57, was killed by a radicalized former student, aged 20 , and filed S, October 13, 2023.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal presided over the ceremony at which hundreds of people were present. The ceremony ended with the sound of a vibrant Marseillaise.