by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 4:29 PM ET, Fri August 18, 2017
One day after a terror attack that killed 13, the crowds returned to Barcelona's Las Ramblas.
Although there were dozens of police lining the leafy boulevard, and the area remained closed to vehicles, the number of pedestrians had returned to nearly normal, Associated Press reported.
Locals told the Associated Press they will not be intimidated by Islamic terrorists, who have claimed responsibility for the attack.
"We don't have to be afraid," said Enrique Camprubi, a city resident for 40 years. "And we aren't afraid because that's what they want, the Islamic State, they want to scare us so that we stay at home. That is the last thing we're going to do."
In addition to killing more than one dozen people, Thursday's van attack on the crowded Las Ramblas, a place popular with tourists and locals, left about 100 people injured.
But by Friday morning newsstands along the road were open selling papers and souvenirs, followed later by some ice cream shops opening their gates. The flowers stalls where the van came to a halt, however, remained closed.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Van Plows into Crowd at Barcelona Tourist Hotspot[/READMORE]
In addition, La Boqueria, a market that is one of the city's most famous tourist attractions, remained shuttered.
Though pedestrians returned to Las Ramblas, the crowd was noticeably quieter and more subdued, according to the Associated Press report.
Later, thousands of people gather for a minute of silence in the square and then walked down Las Ramblas, chanting and clapping in unison.
The van incident in Barcelona was part of what authorities now believe was a multi-pronged terrorist attack on Spain.
On Friday morning, just as things were returning to normal at Las Ramblas, police said they thwarted what they thought was an attempt at a second attack, this one in the Catalan town of Cambrils, 60 miles southwest of Barcelona. Police fatally shot four suspects in that incident, The Washington Post reported.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
