Madrid, 12 March 2004

Remember when we were this united?

It seems that mass murder is the only thing that can bring about such accord. Human nature sucks that way.

MADRID (Reuters) - Chanting “Cowards” and “Killers,” millions of protestors packed rainswept streets across Spain Friday condemning the country's worst ever guerrilla attack which killed at least 199 people.

Spanish royals and Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar headed the march in Madrid alongside Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi and EU President Romano Prodi demonstrating unity a day after what was also Europe's bloodiest bomb attack in 15 years.

“No More Killing” read banners among a column of marchers filling Madrid's main thoroughfare under a sea of umbrellas for more than two miles. The city came to a virtual standstill.

“We Were All On That Train” read one banner in Madrid, in reference to 10 bombs which tore apart four commuter trains on Thursday, injuring some 1,450 people and sparking protests from Seville to Barcelona.

A police spokesman on the street said officers flying overhead in helicopters estimated the crowd in Madrid alone at “more than two million.”

I have a tenuous connection with Spain: my father, a career US Army noncom, was serving as a liaison officer there when he was killed. And up until about 1990, I thought I was ethnic Spanish. (Long story.)

May God keep the souls of those who are lost, and comfort the grieving and the wounded.

And may He grant swift vengeance upon those who did this.

UPDATE. Perhaps not so unified after all:

Around 5,000 angry demonstrators gathered outside the ruling Popular Party's headquarters today, accusing the government of concealing details of the investigation into Spain's worst terrorist attack.

Spontaneous demonstrations also broke out in several other Spanish cities today, including one in the Basque city of Bilbao that drew 8,000 in front of a city government building.

The demonstrators were upset that the government had initially blamed the armed Basque separatist group ETA for the Thursday bombings that killed 200 people, suspecting it had done so in order to boost the Popular Party candidates' chances in the general election tomorrow. […]

The protesters blame Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's government for making Spain a target for reprisal attacks by Islamic extremists because of Spain's support for US President George W Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq.

“Bush and Aznar are to blame,” said one banner carried by protesters.

Never mind that bin Laden and the raiders of the lost Caliphate still rage about The Tragedy of Andalusia: there is no misfortune anywhere that cannot somehow be blamed on George W. Bush.