Silent tribute brings moment of unity to grieving Barcelona
BARCELONA, Spain — When crowds in downtown Barcelona fell silent for one minute Friday to honour the victims of the terrorist attack in the city, one thing was conspicuously absent: any reference to Catalan’s burgeoning independence drive.
As the separatist movement has gathered momentum in recent years and builds to an Oct. 1 referendum that the central government in Madrid argues is illegal, the Catalan flag has become a common sight in Barcelona, the capital of the wealthy region. The red-and-yellow flag with the blue star symbolizes its long-desired independence from Spain.
When the silent tribute began in the Placa Catalunya (Catalonia Square) and a few people raised both Spanish and Catalan flags, jeers rang out. People shouted, “Fuera la bandera!” — “Get rid of the flag!”
It was a poignant moment of unity for Barcelona and for Spain. There was a feeling of standing together after Thursday’s deadly van rampage in the city’s famous Las Ramblas district.