'Democracy will overthrow terrorism and brutality,' says Catalan President

The Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, said that “democracy will overthrow terrorism and brutality” after a terrorist attack hit Barcelona on Thursday. In an institutional message at the Catalan government’s headquarters after heading an emergency cabinet meeting, Puigdemont confirmed that at least 13 people are dead and around 80 are injured.

The Catalan president added that two people have been arrested so far in relation to the attack. Puigdemont did his statement flanked by the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, and the Vice President, Oriol Junqueras. In the emergency cabinet meeting, the head of the Catalan police, Josep Lluís Trapero, was also present.

“All institutions and citizens will defeat those who try to confront civilizations”

“We are troubled, as Europe and the world”, stated Puigdemont. “All decent people from all civilizations, religions and social condition are with the victims and with us,” he added. The Catalan president also highlighted that “all institutions and citizens together will defeat for sure those who try to confront civilizations using violence”. According to him, Catalonia has been for centuries “welcoming people” and is and will be “a peaceful land”.

In the same appearance before the media, Barcelona's Mayor Ada Colau announced a minute of silence for Friday at noon in Plaça Catalunya, few meters away from La Rambla, the promenade where the attack took place. With a shaky voice, she called all institutions and citizens to take part, and she also asked city councils around Catalonia to follow with more minutes of silence.

Barcelona citizens “flooding hospitals to give blood”

Puigdemont and Colau thanked all local, Catalan, Spanish and European emergency services for their “prompt reply” to the attack, as well as citizens. According to the Catalan government’s head, some Barcelona residents have given shelter to everyone who needed it in the past hours, while hospitals are being "flooded" by people "giving blood”.

Mayor Ada Colau says Catalan capital is and will be “diverse and cosmopolitan”

The Catalan capital’s mayor also said that the “cowards” who “have tried to spread fear will not get what they want”. “Barcelona has always been and is now a city of peace, dialogue, democracy, and it is a brave, open to the world city”, said Colau. “It is a city proud of its diversity and is cosmopolitan, and it will continue being like this”, she added. 

The Catalan government has declared three days of mourning following the attack.