Public to be protagonists of anti-terror demonstration

Barcelona mayor plays down role of institutional figures in Saturday’s march and announces cultural event in Plaça Catalunya


Muslim communities demostrating against terrorism on La Rambla in Barcelona (by ACN)
Muslim communities demostrating against terrorism on La Rambla in Barcelona (by ACN) / Helle Kettner

ACN | Barcelona

August 24, 2017 07:42 PM

Society’s first major response to the terrorist attacks that struck Catalonia last week will take place on Saturday August 26 in the form of a demonstration against terrorism in Barcelona. On Thursday, city mayor, Ada Colau, told BTV that the demonstration would end with an event in Plaça de Catalunya. While not giving many details, Colau nevertheless stressed that the event would be cultural in nature and that neither the demo nor the event would be hijacked by the authorities, as the idea is for the general public to be the protagonists.

On Thursday, the tribute events began with an inter-religious remembrance of the victims of the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils with the presence of representatives of all the main religions in Catalonia along with the Catalan government’s religious affairs department. However, the first large-scale homage will be Saturday’s demonstration, which local police estimate could attract at least 100,000 people.

Despite the focus on solidarity, the demonstration has nevertheless attracted some political controversy. Some parties, such as CUP and Podem, have expressed concerns about the presence of institutional figures, such as the the King of Spain. At the same time, on Thursday, a number of organisations announced their intention to use the demonstration as an opportunity to accuse the Spanish government and monarchy of “promoting wars”. The organisations, among which are Unitat Contra el feixisme i el Racisme, Òmnium and CONFAVC, will present a manifesto on Friday.

The demonstration will begin at the Jardinets de Gràcia at 6pm, and move down Passeig de Gràcia to Plaça de Catalunya. Under the slogan 'No tinc por' (I am not afraid), which became widely used in the days after the attacks, the event will also feature a design by artist Frederic Amat, which will be the letters of the name ‘Barcelona’ in red, with the letter ‘l’ in black, to represent mourning. At the head of the march will be representatives of the security and emergency services, who have been praised for their handling of the attacks.

Transport operators respond

Public transport companies have responded with special measures aimed to cope with the expected increase in passengers. Rail operator Renfe, for example, announced an extra 50 trains on its local and regional rail networks, mostly between 2pm and 5pm, and then from 7pm until 10pm. Renfe also announced that a special team of 500 staff members - many of whom volunteered - will also be deployed among Barcelona’s different stations to ensure the operation’s success. Information about the extra services can be found on the website, rodaliesdecatalunya.cat.

Meanwhile, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), the main public transport operator for the city, also plans to increase the metro underground service by 40% between 1pm and 10pm, on lines 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Given the large numbers of people expected to attend the event, TMB advises passengers to avoid the metro stops along Passeig de Gràcia and to try to use alternative destinations in the city centre. TMB will also deploy some hundred extra staff to help the flow of passengers at metro stops.

Naturally, the demonstration will affect bus lines, with some 30 routes in the city centre affected, including those of the Barcelona Tourist Bus. Between 4pm and 9pm, buses in the city centre will be re-routed, especially on the following lines: H8, H10, H12, H16, V13, V15, V17, 6, 7, 19, 20, 22, 24, 33, 34, 41, 42, 47, 50, 54, 55, 59, 62, 66, 67 and 68.

Finally, the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) rail system will also provide more trains on its metropolitan lines. The Barcelona-Vallès line will have a special service from midday until the end of the demonstration with twice as many trains running. Meanwhile, the Llobregat-Anoia route will maintain its weekday timetable and will have double its normal passenger capacity. Details of the changes can be checked at the website, www.fgc.cat.