Spain Since the Massacre

Spain mourned as a nation after the Madrid massacre. The buildings of the Spanish capital were draped in black cloth and there was silence at noon on the day after the attacks. On the evening of Friday 12th March, five million people marched throughout the country’s cities and towns to demonstrate their feelings against terrorism.

Spaniards were appalled and angry by what had happened and many refused to believe that even ETA would carry out such an atrocity against Spanish people. They felt Islamic terrorists must be to blame. The majority of Spanish people were against their country’s involvement in the war in Iraq and many felt that Prime Minister Aznar and his government were to blame for what happened in Madrid. They demonstrated this by voting out the Popular Party and electing the Socialists, who were against the war, at the elections that came just a few days after the attacks.

The bombings in Madrid were the most horrific terrorist attack that Spain has suffered, but the country is no stranger to terrorist activities. For over 30 years, ETA has bombed political and official targets and has recently turned its attention to the tourist industry. Tourism employs around half a million people in Spain and accounts for 5.5% of the national economy. If tourism suffered because of terrorist activities, it would be devastating to the nation’s financial stability.

However, visitors don’t appear to have been deterred by ETA or the Madrid attack. According to the Global Travel and Tourism Council summit held in May 2004, Spain’s tourism industry is healthy. It reported that there had been a growth in tourism of around 4% and that, although some businesses in popular locations were affected in the days after the attack, they were back to normal within a month. Spain mourned its terrible loss with a great sense of sadness and anger. But the country has refused to succumb to terrorism and has shown great solidarity and determination to continue with life as normal.