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11 March 2004 - Terrorist Bombs in Madrid

Millions of Spaniards poured on to the streets of Madrid yesterday as the country came to a halt with one message: bring the guilty to justice!

In a mass display of unity, crowds gathered to express their anger against those responsible for the 10-bomb atrocity.

A seven-month old Polish baby girl died yesterday from her injuries. Her parents have still to be traced. It brought the death toll to 199, with 1,500 injured, at least 25 of whom remain in a critical condition.

Police estimated that 2.3 million gathered in Christopher Columbus Square, the centre of Madrid. In drizzle, they stood holding banners and chanting, students alongside business leaders, mothers and politicians. Sections of the crowd broke into spontaneous applause or whistles at various intervals. Others chanted, "murderers, murderers," or, "sons of bitches" as they made their way along the streets lined with smart apartment blocks, bars and banks.

Traffic ground to a standstill as demonstrators heeded a call by their government to show their abhorrence of the bombings. A sea of umbrellas slowly made its way along the main avenue leading towards Atocha railway station where several of the explosions occurred.

Flags hung at half-mast on public buildings while others were hung with black ribbon to demonstrate mourning. The black ribbon insignia could be seen everywhere on umbrellas, stuck to the backs of the marchers' coats, on buses and even on advertising hoardings and as huge banners hanging from skyscrapers. The procession, the biggest ever seen in Spain, slowed to a crawl as more and more joined.

People also gathered on the pavements of the wide, tree-lined avenues as the demonstration passed by... Offices, shops and cafes across the country emptied at noon as people went to stand in the street in honour of those killed. Authorities had requested a minute's silence but many people braved the damp, chilly weather for as long as ten minutes.

Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar stood outside the presedential palace with senior officials to pay his respects after promising his nation: "We will bring the guilty to justice." At one point, a government official could not contain his anger and broke the silence by shouting, "Send the terrorists to the firing squad!"

In Barcelona, an estimated 1.3 million marched. Subways and buses ground to a halt and construction worked stopped. There was also a huge turnout in Tenerife.

In northern Spain's Basque region, hundreds of students at the University of the Basque Country in Leioa stood in silence and clapped at the end - a Spanish gesture of solidarity...

Trains continued to run but had black sashes of mourning stuck to the windows. Earlier in the day distraught relatives were still trying to find out whether loved ones were dead or alive.

Medical staff had worked through the night, not only to treat the injured but also to offer sympathy to the families who huddled together for comfort in hospital waiting rooms.