Works on La Rambla forced the commemoration of the ninth anniversary of the jihadist attacks of August 17, 2017 in Barcelona and Cambrils to be moved to Plaça Sant Jaume. Nine years after the van attack, victims and their families remembered the 16 deceased and over 300 injured, maintaining improved attention and reparation as their main demand.
Relatives of the victims and injured occupied the front row of the square. After a minute of silence, Fátima Saheb, the event's host, appealed for "tolerance, peace, and understanding." Unlike previous years, the floral offering was not made on La Rambla. The event was attended by the President of the Parliament, Josep Rull; the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni; the Government Delegate in Catalonia, Carlos Prieto; and the Minister of Interior, Núria Parlon.
The creation of a specific attention office, requested by associations, was made official in May. Robert Manrique, a victim of the ETA attack on Hipercor and founder of UAVAT, considers it progress but points out the "lack of specialized personnel" to assist those affected. Associations also question the initial response from the Ministry of the Interior, stating that "there are still 125 victims not included in the sentence" and that the responsibility to contact them all, including those from various countries, should lie with the ministry.
The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, defended "coexistence, democracy, and peace" against "hatred and barbarism," reaffirming support for the victims. In contrast, Vox criticized immigration policy and "Islamism" and "mass immigration," announcing protests. Former President Carles Puigdemont advocated for "the whole truth" for the victims and highlighted the effectiveness of the Mossos d'Esquadra, the citizens, and the condemnation by Muslim associations, alluding to "links" between Spanish intelligence services and the imam who masterminded the operation.
