Madrid, Mar 11 (EFE).- The Association 11-M Affected by Terrorism, together with the UGT and CCOO unions and the Union of Actors and Actresses, have paid tribute this Saturday, with a floral offering at the Atocha station, to the victims of the terrorist attacks of March 11, 2004 and have demanded that the memory of that “irreason” remain alive to prevent it from falling into “oblivion”.
The event was attended by, among others, the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida or the Government delegate in the region, Mercedes González, as well as regional and municipal representatives of Más Madrid, the PSOE, Unidas Podemos or Recupera Madrid.
Eulogio Paz, president of the Association 11-M Affected by Terrorism, began his speech with a memory of Diego Valencia Pérez, the sacristan assassinated in Algeciras, and Antonio Rodríguez, wounded in the same attacks, in which he “firmly” condemned crimes “beyond belief”.
In his speech, Paz pointed out that the “analysis” of what happened is a “guarantee of eradication” of events such as 11-M and highlighted the importance of the “construction of memory through an objective story”, as well as to transmit it to the new generations to “prevent them from falling into the networks of terrorism”.
The president of the entity has criticized the “illegal invasion of Iraq” and has assured that the FAES foundation, chaired by former president José María Aznar, “anticipated” in a report “what could happen” if Spain participated in that conflict.
Likewise, it has demanded that the Atocha monument that pays tribute to the victims of the attack be improved “beyond the works” or name changes that are undertaken at the station, because “it is not conceivable” that “there is not a single mention that says” that it is a memory of 11-M.
THE UNIONS PAY TRIBUTE TO THE “ANONYMOUS HEROES” OF 11M
The general secretary of UGT Madrid, Marina Prieto, has demanded “reparation” for the victims and has vindicated the public service workers who, “even out of service”, decided to intervene to “protect and save the lives of those affected by the attacks”, a situation that, in his opinion, demonstrates the “solidarity” nature of society.
Prieto has asked that, in the face of difficulties, political representatives know how to “put what is important first” and has reminded “the honest people who got up, honestly, to work, to study, to take care of their families.”
“You have to have memory, remember and tell the truth,” demanded the Madrid union leader, for whom Spanish society must “remember” to “avoid oblivion.”
For her part, the general secretary of the CCOO in Madrid, Paloma López, has said that the anniversary of 11-M “should serve to pay tribute and respect to the victims”, as well as to “transfer love and affection to the families”. and to vindicate the “protagonism” of the “heroes and heroines of everyday life”.
“Who did not feel panic that day?”, he asked, while he valued the “courage” of those who helped while the country was “paralyzed” and also of society, which “recovered to give an answer unequivocal” rejection of what happened.
“The most complicated task, sometimes, is to live and get ahead. That is why today I want to vindicate those who continue to repeat the same ritual, those who go out to work, to study to support their families, to pay their mortgages, water, electricity, telephone ”, he said.
Finally, Rafael Castejón, spokesman for the Union of Actors and Actresses, has condemned the “irreason” and “intolerance” that Madrid experienced during that day and the days that followed and has asked for culture to be “a loudspeaker that promotes respect ” to “avoid a repetition” of what happened on March 11, 2004.