Cambrils aims to ‘prevent hate’ in commemorative act in honor of terror victims

The southern seaside town of Cambrils has held a commemorative event on Thursday to remember the victims of the terror attack that took place there five years before, in 2017. 

The terror attack took place in the morning after the attacks on La Rambla in Barcelona happened, events which were remembered in the Catalan capital on Wednesday.

In a commemorative act on the scene where the tragic events took place five years earlier, on Passeig Marítim, relatives of the victims, institutions, security forces, emergency services and the public placed white flowers on the Memorial for Peace. 

Dozens of Cambrils locals attended and a minute’s silence was respected during the event. The tribute lasted 25 minutes in which the mayor of the town, Oliver Klein urged for acts like these to "serve to prevent hatred and terrorism."

Klein recalled the night that "darkness came," which ended with one person dead and seven more wounded, in addition to five terrorists killed. Finally, three children released white balloons as a sign of peace, while musicians played the European Anthem as well as the traditional Catalan tune, The Song of the Birds. 

The City Council of Cambrils has published a manifesto on the events of five years earlier, in which it said that the people of Cambrils were "hit hard by the irrational violence." 

"A sad memory, but serene. No rancor but no oblivion," it continues. The manifesto is addressed to all citizens of the municipality and to the families who "lost everything."

The work of the emergency services and police forces is also highlighted, as well as workers at establishments and shops in the area who brought people fleeing the chaos into their premises. 

"Now is the time to look to the future with optimism and confidence," it says, calling for respect for others, to "tolerate differences and believe in diversity."

Maria Teresa Mariné, representing the Association of Victims of Terrorism 11-M and two people affected by the attack, regretted that the people of Cambrils "feel like second-class victims." 

In addition, she criticized that although at first they were given support by the administration, they have been made to feel “very helpless" for some time. 

"They are fighting instead of the other way around; the institutions must be at their service, and not the victims behind them," she said.