Students React to Spanish Bombings

While for most Harvard students the terrorist bombings in Madrid last week were mere headlines, for those who have lived or studied in Spain, they were every bit as devastating as the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

The ten bombs that tore through 90 miles of commuter line during rush hour on the morning of March 11 have killed 202 people and wounded at least 1,200 others. Yesterday, Spanish police arrested five more suspects, making a total of 11 in custody for the bombings.

Zoie O. Watson ’05, who is currently studying at the University of Madrid, was in her apartment located several miles from the site of bombing when it happened.

“It has had more of an impact on me than Sept. 11,” Watson said. “Madrid is a city that I have come to call my own, and a city that I love.”

Sarah L. Thomas ’04, who studied in Madrid during fall 2002 and worked for Let’s Go Spain last summer, agreed.

“I felt a lot more personally involved in this because Madrid is the place that I have spent the most time in outside of Boston,” Thomas said. “It hit home much more than Sept. 11.”

Those contacted described having visceral reactions upon hearing about the bombing, recalling their own experiences with Spanish train stations.

“When I found out about the bombing, I was petrified, and I didn’t go outside all day,” Watson said. “I was in my apartment, but the night before I was a metro stop away from Atocha.”

Atocha, which was one of the primary bombing targets, is Madrid’s largest and most important train station.

“I was completely shocked. It was a block away from where I used to live in Madrid. My first two thoughts were about the people I know who are still there, and the elementary school that is on the same block” said Miranda E. Dugi ’05, who studied at the Universidad de Carlos III in Madrid last fall.

Sophie L. Gonick ’05, who studied in Madrid last fall and is also a Crimson editor, said that she was “frightened” and “horrified” upon hearing about the bombings.

“It was a very personal reaction because it is an area I know really well and that I passed through every single day,” Gonick said. “I really know that train station, and I can’t imagine being in that train station in an emergency.”

A SILVER LINING

Despite the devastation of the bombings, some said that they found a small glimmer of hope in the political shake up that followed the attacks.

“I am happy that the Left has now won the elections. That’s the only positive outcome I can see out of all of this,” Gonick said.

The bombings took place three days prior to the general elections in Madrid which resulted in the ouster of the conservative Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar in favor of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of the Socialist Party.

Aznar, who adamantly supported the U.S.-led war in Iraq, was heavily blamed for the bombings which have now been linked to the al Qaeda terrorist group.

Bradley S. Epps, Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures, said that Aznar lied to the Spanish people about the war in Iraq and tried to convince the people that ETA, a Basque separatist group, was responsible for the bombing.

“The misinformation and suppression of information was almost immediate. There was a knee-jerk reaction here as if it was impossible to imagine that this was a global terrorist attack,” Epps said.

Watson echoed Epps’ statement, noting the confusion that ensued in the hours after the bombing

“They immediately decided it was ETA, the Basque terrorist group. It was scary because people didn’t know who to believe or what the situation was,” Watson said.

Epps compared the lies made by the former Spanish government to statements made by President Bush.

“The Popular party has lied to the Spanish people just as George W. Bush and his cronies have lied to the American people. Their foreign policy is built on the manipulation of truth and lies, and that is certainly how the majority of the Spanish people see it,” Epps said.

CLOSE TO HOME

Even with the many parallels between the situation in Madrid and that in the United States, students and professors said that they were disappointed with the general apathy of the American people.

“It was very upsetting I think because the American reaction wasn’t as strong as I thought it would be,” Thomas said.

Epps attributed this apathy to U.S. arrogance and feelings of supremacy.

“The U.S. is one of the most narcissistic and self-absorbed countries on earth. That is one of the effects of power,” Epps said.

However, others disagreed, noting that their friends here have been very supportive in the wake of the tragedy.

“Everyone who I know who knew I was in Madrid contacted me about whether or not my friends were safe,” Dugi said. “Proportionally you are not going to get the same reaction out of people just because it was not in the United States. People have taken an interest not just in the event, but the context surrounding it as well.”

While many felt emotionally tied to the tragedy, no one interviewed said they personally knew anybody who was a victim of the attack. Some attributed this to a strike at the University of Madrid, which deterred many students and professors from taking the train to the school that morning.

“I was lucky enough to get in touch with everybody who I knew in Madrid a couple of hours later to see that they were okay,” Dugi said.

Watson said some of those who had the most trouble coping with the bombings were students from New York.

“I have heard of a lot of students here who are from New York who have started to have panic attacks because it hit so close to home,” Watson said.

Despite the enormity of the tragedy, many said that they would definitely return to Spain in the near future.

“I have been going to Spain for a long time, and I have people I love there. I am no more nervous about going to Spain than I am about going to New York or walking through downtown Boston,” Epps said.

Watson said that her fear of terrorism extends beyond Spain.

“I am not afraid about being in Spain. It is just a general uneasiness about the state of the world. I don’t know if there is a safe place to be,” Watson said.

—Material from the Associated Press was used in this story.