- Title: People in Germany react to Barcelona attack
- Date: 18th August 2017
- Summary: MUNICH, GERMANY (AUGUST 18, 2017) (REUTERS) INTERIOR, PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT OF ARRIVALS BOARD IN MUNICH AIRPORT BARCELONA FLIGHT ON ARRIVALS BOARD PEOPLE STANDING IN AIRPORT ARRIVALS BOARD (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM BARCELONA, LUIZ CUVEK, SAYING: "We were a bit afraid because we live close to Barcelona and this morning the city was completely closed (with) a lot of police controls. Well, that's life, we have to continue, we have to come here for holidays, and we just continue." (SOUNDBITE) (English) PASSENGER ARRIVING FROM BARCELONA, NICAL KHATRI, SAYING: "Well we have a shop in Barcelona so I was working there and I think at about five o'clock a lot of people came to our shop, just to be there and just to be more than anything safe. And the police said to us that we have to close the shop. And we were there until eight o'clock, then everyone was getting out because the police were taking everyone to a safe place, and that's all." (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM BARCELONA, ESTELLE PASQUALE, SAYING: "This morning when I went to the airport it was 'okay, how is it going to be there?' If there would be a lot of people, and it was a lot of controls, a lot of cars, a lot of police, but it was a relief to leave the town for a few days." VARIOUS OF PASSENGERS ARRIVING IN MUNICH AIRPORT BERLIN, GERMANY (AUGUST 18, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SPANISH EMBASSY IN BERLIN EMBASSY'S SYMBOL ON GATE SPANISH AND EU FLAGS FLYING AT HALF-MAST OUTSIDE EMBASSY SPANISH COAT OF ARMS ABOVE EMBASSY DOOR SPANISH AND EU FLAGS FLYING AT HALF-MAST EXTERIOR OF MEMORIAL CHURCH ON BREITSCHEIDPLATZ WHERE VAN ATTACK KILLED 11 PEOPLE AT CHRISTMAS MARKET IN DECEMBER 2016, PAN ONTO CONCRETE BARRIERS CLOSE OF CONCRETE BARRIERS MEMORIAL CHURCH, PAN ONTO MEMORIAL FOR VICTIMS OF 2016 ATTACK FAN WITH FLAG FOR CATALAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT ON MEMORIAL SIGN ON MEMORIAL READING "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE" PEOPLE LOOKING AT MEMORIAL WOMAN LOOKING AT MEMORIAL WOMAN TAKING PICTURE OF CANDLES AT MEMORIAL (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSER-BY JUTTA LAGGIES, SAYING: "Of course no one can hide themselves away. Something like this can always happen anywhere, and it would be the end if one no longer went outside just because these attacks happen. So right now I think no one should let themselves be frightened. And with these concrete barriers that will not happen here." CONCRETE BARRIERS WOMAN LAYING FLOWERS ON MEMORIAL FLOWERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSER-BY ULRIKE MANGOLD-WETTER, SAYING: "It is just so insidious, to take a car and to speed into people, to kill and badly injure them, and that affected me so much that I thought it is important for me to be here today." (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSER-BY ERICH WETTER, SAYING: "It makes no sense: with ever stronger controls we would not achieve much. We have to keep telling ourselves 'no, not with us'." PEOPLE LOOKING AT THE MEMORIAL (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSER-BY ULRIKE MANGOLD-WETTER, SAYING: "However I do feel somewhat unsafe. One thinks 'can I still go there at all?' Avoid crowds, big events are a no-go, so to an extent these terrorists have achieved their aim, although it annoys me because we should not let ourselves submit." ULRIKE MANGOLD-WETTER AND ERICH WETTER HOLDING HANDS AND WALKING AWAY PEOPLE LOOKING AT MEMORIAL
- Embargoed: 1st September 2017 11:53
- Keywords: Barcelona attack reactions travellers
- Location: MUNICH, BERLIN; GERMANY
- City: MUNICH, BERLIN; GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA0016UOOUH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Travellers from Barcelona arriving at Munich Airport on Friday (August 18) told Reuters "it was a relief to leave the town" and that there was a heavy police presence throughout the city due to yesterday's terrorist attacks in the Spanish region of Catalonia. One traveller said he had been working in a shop near the site of the attack and had sheltered people there on Thursday evening (August 17).
Reuters TV also spoke to people.
Germans also expressed their shock about the attacks as they visited the memorial on Berlin's Breitscheidplatz, where a similar attack killed 11 people at a Christmas market last year. Passers-by said that despite concern about similar attacks, they felt it was important not to let themselves be frightened by what happened.
Spanish and EU flags have also been lowered to half-mast at the Spanish embassy in Berlin.
On Thursday (August 17) a van drove into crowds on the La Rambla street in the city centre of Barcelona, leaving 13 dead and more than one hundred wounded. A car also drove into a crowd in the coastal town of Cambrils, injuring seven people. One woman has since died of her injuries from the attack in Cambrils according to the Catalonian emergency services, bringing the total death toll for both attacks to 14. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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