FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 94 - ENGLISH

10 NEWS 11M EVENTS ATOCHA: “WE DO NOT WANT HISTORY TO REPEAT ITSELF” The second event of the day took place at Atocha station, where the traditional trib- ute organised by the 11M Association of Victims of Terrorism, in conjunction with the UGT and CCOO trade unions, was held at 10.30 am. There, the association’s president, Marisol Pérez Urbano, deliv- ered a message centred on solidarity and the defence of peace, recalling the human consequences of international conflicts. “We do not want to repeat history,” she stated firmly, highlighting the danger of wars and the ease with which citizens end up bearing their costs. Pérez Urbano also recalled the international climate prior to 2004, when the attacks shook Madrid against a backdrop already marked by military and geopolitical tensions. His words were a call to keep the memory alive to prevent the mistakes of the past from being repeated. The event concluded with a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial site set up at the entrance to Cercanías, where dozens of people laid flowers in memory of the victims. FOREST OF MEMORY: MEMORY AS A DEFENCE OF DEMOCRACY At midday, at 12 pm, the AVT held its annual tribute in the Forest of Remem- brance in El Retiro Park. This symbolic site — where 193 cypress and olive trees represent those who lost their lives — was once again filled with emotion dur- ing a ceremony attended by numerous dignitaries, including the leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez-Feijóo, the regional president, the mayor of Madrid and the Ombudsman. In her speech, Maite Araluce, president of the AVT, expressed her concern at what she described as a gradual “mor- al decline” in the rule of law in the re- sponse to terrorism. Araluce warned that “there can be no justice if penalties are watered down, if responsibility for crimes fades away and if grief becomes a secondary concern”. She also recalled the four words that encapsulate the association’s mission— Memory, Truth, Dignity and Justice— and emphasised that memory must “prevent forgetting and avert repeti- tion”, whilst truth must remain “unbi- ased, impartial and free from narratives that whitewash the murderers”. The tribute concluded with the release of 193 white balloons, one for each fa- tality, followed by the traditional pro- cession of officials, victims and citizens through the Forest of Remembrance. There, those present laid white flowers on the cypress trees honouring each of the deceased. CALLE TÉLLEZ: AN INTIMATE CEREMONY WITHOUT INSTITUTIONAL REPRESENTATION At 1.30 pm, Calle Téllez once again be- came one of the key venues of the day. The 11M Association of Victims of Terrorism organised an event attended by around fifty people. The ceremony included a minute’s silence and the reading of a text in memory of both the deceased and the survivors. Marisol Pérez Urbano regretted that the tribute took place without any institu- tional representation from Madrid City Council, although councillors from Más Madrid and the PSOE attended in a per- sonal capacity. The president thanked them for their presence and emphasised