Victims and their families remember 17-A in Barcelona amid calls for greater attention

The works currently occupying La Rambla have forced the tribute for the ninth anniversary of the jihadist attacks of August 17, 2017, in Barcelona and Cambrils (Tarragona) to be moved this Monday to the Plaza de Sant Jaume. Nine years after Younes Abouyaaqoub crashed a van into La Rambla at 16:53 and traveled more than 800 meters running over those in his path, the victims and their families have gathered again to remember the 16 deceased and the more than 300 people who suffered physical injuries or psychological aftereffects. Nine years after the attacks, the attention and reparation of the victims continue to be one of the main demands of those affected.

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The front row of the square was mostly occupied by relatives of the deceased and people injured in the attacks. As in previous anniversaries, attendees observed a minute of silence. Fátima Saheb, in charge of leading the event, called for “tolerance, peace, and understanding.” The change of venue also altered one of the usual rituals of the tribute. Unlike other years, the traditional floral offering that took place on La Rambla was not held. Among other institutional representatives, the event was attended by the president of the Parliament, Josep Rull; the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni; the government delegate in Catalonia, Carlos Prieto; and the interior minister, Núria Parlon.

The creation of a specific care office, a long-standing demand of the associations, was not formalized until May of this year. For Robert Manrique, a victim of the ETA attack on Hipercor and founder of the Unit for Attention and Assessment of Terrorism Victims (UAVAT), the launch of the service represents progress, although he considers that there are still “few specialized people” to attend to those affected.

The associations also question the response received by the victims immediately after the attacks and, in particular, the follow-up carried out by the Ministry of the Interior. Manrique has stated that the care provided during the first days was insufficient to locate and accompany all affected persons. “We know there are 136 victims not compensated financially,” he said. According to the spokesperson, the review carried out by the association of the judicial procedure files indicates that “there are still 125 victims not included in the sentence.” “It must be remembered that we are talking about victims from various countries and that it should be the Ministry’s responsibility to contact all of them,” he emphasized.

Political reaction

Political reactions have followed throughout the morning. The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has defended that against “hatred and barbarism” there is a need for “more coexistence, more democracy, and more peace.” In a message published on X, Illa assured that Catalonia keeps “the memory alive” and expressed his support “to the victims, their families, and all affected persons.”

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Vox has taken advantage of the anniversary to attack the Government’s migration policy and denounce what it considers the “advance of Islamism” and “massive immigration.” The deputy and spokesperson of the party in the Parliament, Joan Garriga, has announced the call for demonstrations to protest against both phenomena. While Vox representatives were making statements, about twenty people protested.

Carles Puigdemont, who presided over the Generalitat when the attacks occurred, has stated that the victims “deserve the right to know the whole truth” and has claimed “the effectiveness of the Catalan police” during those days, as well as the response of the citizens and the “forceful and unequivocal condemnation” of the Muslim associations of Catalonia. The former president also referred to the “proven links between the Spanish intelligence and police services and the imam who was the mastermind of the operation,” fueling the thesis that the plans of the Ripoll terrorist group were known and calls for explanations.

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