Olive trees planted in remembrance of August 17 Barcelona terrorist attack victim

Friends and family of a young man who was killed during the aftermath of the August 17 Barcelona terrorist attack have paid homage to the victim by planting olive trees on what would have been his 35^th birthday. Pau Pérez, from Vilafranca del Penedès, was stabbed to death by the perpetrator of the atrocity Younes Abouyaaquoub as he fled the scene of the crime.

In order to commemorate Pérez's life, the loved ones he left behind walked together to the nearby Sant Pau mountain, a symbolic act in itself as it shares the same name as the deceased. Once there, they planted 15 olive trees and released 35 balloons into the sky. According to one of Peréz's friends, Cristina Martí, olive trees were chosen because they are a symbol of peace. The name Pau, apart from being that of the Christian Saint Paul, also means peace in Catalan.

Prior to the procession up Sant Pau mountain, a group of friends had also planted an oak on Sant Jaume mountain, where they also placed a plaque in his memory stating “you are eternal.” According to family members, around 100 people attended the private memorial ceremony. Martí said that everybody present “had experienced the pain in their own way.” 

In a brutal act of violence, Abouyaaquoub killed Pérez and stole his car as he attempted to flee the city after driving a van into crowds of people in La Rambla, one of the main tourist areas of Barcelona. He was finally shot dead by the Catalan police after spending four days on the run after the tragic event.