Prodi neemt deel aan protestdemonstratie Madrid tegen bomaanslag (en)

The President of the European Commission will fly to Madrid today to join the millions of demonstrators who are expected to pour onto the streets in a mass show of solidarity following yesterday's attacks on the Spanish capital.

The blasts which ripped through three packed commuter trains at rush hour on Thursday morning have left 200 dead, more than 1,400 injured and have prompted a wave of grief and anger which have consumed the entire country.

The government has called for "every Spaniard" to take to the streets tonight at 19:00 (Central European Time) to protest "for the victims, for the constitution and for the defeat of terrorism".

It is expected that many millions in every corner of the country will answer the call.

Joining them will be Commission President Romano Prodi who announced today that he will be making the trip to Spain.

Already impromptu manifestations have been taking place all over the country, from the Bilbao to Valencia to Alcalá - the historic town on the outskirts of Madrid where the three trains carrying the explosives departed from.

Yesterday in Brussels Mr Prodi himself led a silent demonstration at Schuman, in the centre of the European Quarter, home to the institutions of the European Union.

Hundreds of people, many of them Spanish, turned out in a show of solidarity.

Speaking before holding a minute silence, Mr Prodi described the attacks as "bestial".

"This is violence without object, without sense against which the entire international community has to mobilise itself. All the peoples of Europe are now close to Spain", he said.

Some in the EU's institutions are now calling for all of Europe to declare 11 March a day for the victims of terrorism.