FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 96 - ENGLISH

7 NEWS the Catalan Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon. Representatives of the various political groups in Barcelona City Council, the Catalan Parliament and the Congress of Deputies also took part, alongside members of the consu- lar corps and senior officers from the Mossos d’Esquadra , National Police, Civil Guard and Barcelona Municipal Police. The emergency services, whose response was decisive during the 2017 attacks, were also present at the tribute. The ceremony was hosted by Fatima Saheb, who opened proceedings with a message focused on the values of coexis- tence attacked that summer and which, nine years later, remain the strongest response to terrorism. She stressed the importance of tolerance, peace and un- derstanding between people, emphasi- sing that no form of violence can defeat those principles. The programme included several par- ticularly symbolic moments. Actress Marta Bayarri gave a heartfelt reading of Miquel Martí i Pol’s poem Parlem de tu , while singer and guitarist Jofre Ba- gardí and violinist Ana Fernández per- formed Compta amb mi by the group Txarango. Both performances brought an intimate, reflective tone to the collec- tive remembrance of the victims. The most moving moment came with the minute’s silence in memory of the 16 people murdered and the more than one hundred injured in the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils. The silence gave way to long, widespread applause, expressing the public’s affection, respect and recognition for those who suffered the consequences of the attacks directly. During the event, victims again called for broader, lasting support from pu- blic institutions. Robert Manrique, one of their spokespeople, recalled that the effects of an attack do not end when court proceedings conclude or compen- sation is paid. As he explained, many of those affected continue, years later, to face further surgery, relapses, psycholo- gical treatment or limitations resulting from their injuries. Manrique insisted that the real challen- ge is to ensure ongoing follow-up so that the emerging needs of those affected can be properly addressed. In his view, much remains to be done before public authorities provide comprehensive, sus- tained support. His words highlighted a demand that victims’ associations have raised for years: support must extend beyond financial redress to include long-term medical, psychological and social assistance. The commemoration was also echoed on social media. The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, who was unable to attend, publicly remembe- red the victims and their relatives in a message reaffirming his commitment to remembrance and coexistence. His post stressed that the memory of those who suffered the attacks remains alive, and argued that the response to hatred and barbarity must continue to be more de- mocracy, more peace and greater social cohesion. Nine years after the attacks that shook Barcelona and Cambrils, the city came together once again to remember the victims and reaffirm the values terro- rism sought to destroy. The tribute in Plaça Sant Jaume kept alive the me- mory of those who lost their lives and provided an opportunity to hear the demands of those still living with the tragedy’s physical and emotional con- sequences. Once again, remembrance became a call for unity, coexistence and a collective commitment to peace.