Michel to attend Madrid anti-terror march

12 March 2004

BRUSSELS – Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel will on Friday take part in a huge anti-terrorism demonstration in Madrid, his spokesman has confirmed.

Michel and Belgium’s state secretary for European affairs Frederique Ries will fly to the Spanish capital in time for the demonstration, which starts at 19:00.

The two ministers will be joined by other senior politicians from across Europe, who will travel to Madrid to offer their support and condolences to the Spanish people and the country’s government.

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi and EU Commission President Romano Prodi will also attend the event.

Meanwhile, members of Brussels’ Spanish community on Friday said they would be holding their own memorial for the Madrid bomb victims.

The event would take place on the steps of the stock exchange in central Brussels at 19:00, to coincide with the Madrid demonstration, the organisers said.

They added that the memorial would be a non-partisan, silent demonstration to condemn the “criminal attacks in Madrid”.

They asked anyone planning to attend not to bring “flags, banners or other symbols” supporting specific groups or governments.

Elsewhere flags on official buildings across Belgium were flown at half mast on Friday as a mark of sympathy and respect for Spain.

Subject: Belgian news