Madrid, Spain: On March 11, 2004, a militant Islamic terrorist group attacked four Spanish commuter trains in Madrid. The coordinated bombing effort killed almost two hundred people and injured more than a thousand of the city’s morning commuters. The Spanish government opened a memorial site, within the larger El Ritiro park, located next to Madrid’s central train station, the site of one of the bombings. The forest is composed of 192 olive trees, one for each victim. Since its construction, the grove has been the site of annual memorial services and visitors bring candles, flowers and mementos. Several cyber memorials also commemorate the event, allowing visitors to enter thoughts or prayers.
