Written on Sunday afternoon, March 14, the day of Spanish A exploded on Thursday. Last night one hundred meters from my front door three Moroccans were arrested for involvement in the crime; and from my kitchen window I can see the queue of those waiting to vote in todays general election. March 14) resident called Shaaban, who once worked in journalism, insisting the attack was still carried out by ETA. This demonstrates how effective outgoing President Aznar and his Popular Party governments manipulation of the news has been. The question on everyones lip is Will the truth get out in time? trilby-hatted refused to give her name. I voted for the PP last time but I can't vote for these thugs again who lead us into a war nobody wanted. They lied about the weapons in Iraq, and they're lying again today. How dare they manipulate the dead? Many of my friends think the same.
Yesterday there was growing fury as more dirty tricks by the Minister of Interior and Foreign Minister were exposed all exacerbated by deep frustration that none of this was being covered by the main TV Stations, espe cially TV 1, Antena 3 and Tele-Madrid which are all pro Government.
Even after a van was discovered with deto nators and tape with Koranic verses, Aznar phoned the editor of the biggest paper El Pais to say he still thought it was ETA's doing while the PP's new Presidential candidate Mr Rajoy said he had the moral conviction ETA were responsible.
But tens of thousands of mobiles were on the go flashing messages between friends. Have you seen Bloomberg? Check article in New York Times. Check out Radio Ser 95 per cent of police investigating Al Quaida and on it went all day contradicting the Government line till 1 received a message "Meet outside PP party headquarters
demand the truth followed by a cacerolada (literally, protest by banging of pots and pans) at 10pm wherever you live pass it on".
By the time five minute walk from where I live in the centre of Madrid is Atocha want the truth! Liars!" he spat, "God damn those liars!" Beside him a six foot African clanged a road sign with his umbrella as his friends held up a sign, Senegal for Peace. It was overpowering; grassroot fury at the manipulation suddenly given expression. Next, news filtered through more mobiles, and it was as many suspected: Al Quaida sympathisers had been arrested
Another spontaneous meeting was organised in Sol, the most famous square in Spain right at the heart of the city. At midnight thousands more arrived. More chants: " Esto es el regalo del amigo Americano". (This is a present from our American friend).
On TV a Government spokesperson r demned the spontaneous meetings warned against participation. There was speculation whether the riot police would take a heavy hand as they did during the anti war demonstrations when peaceful marchers were battoned and fired upon with rubber bullets, which forced us to rush into bars and hotels for safety, or whether they would do anything to avoid more bad publicity. It was the latter; still more arrived in the square as more and more inventive slogans proliferatAt 2 am the crowd decided as one to head for Atocha station by the scene of the massacre. Suddenly the mood changed. Hushing sounds swept though an enormous crowd from the Atocha roundabout to adjoining
Everyone sat down, held up their hands, and there was a stunning
I silence apart from the police helicopter above. Some cried, some cuddled, some prayed, and some were lost in private thoughts. After a perfectly observed two minute silence there was a spontaneous applause before they hung their banners and placed candles for the dead at the staSome made reference to the innocent lives taken in Madrid and the ten thousand civilians killed in Baghdad. Some called for the end to terror of every kind. Some referred to the three wise monkeys of Blair, Bush and Aznar and their infamous encounter in the Azores
prior to the war, and some mentioned names of loved ones. Sergio, I love you. I laid mine No more lies. (Paul Laverty is a writer who lives in Madrid. He wrote the screenplays for My Name is loe, Sweet Sixteen, and the forthcoming A Fond Kiss, all directed by Ken Loach.)