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At least thirteen dead as van hits crowds in Barcelona

Ydelnae

Member
Catalonian police was already investigating a possible attack by this group, that's why media is almost taking for granted that it's an attack by ISIS.
 

sflufan

Banned
You are right it doesn't match the profile of prior Spanish terrorist groups but that doesn't mean they can't see how easy and effective the car attacks are and copy it.

Most ETA operations focused largely on attacking Spanish military personnel/officials or other symbols of institutional power structure. The one time they engaged in an attack that resulted in mass civilian casualties was the bombing of a supermarket in Barcelona in 1987 and ETA apologized for that as a "mistake" (some mistake, right?).
 

Dehnus

Member
Being vulnerable to a terror attack is the sad price of freedom. We can put barriers on busy pedestrian streets, but turning all cities into fortresses is not an answer. The only way is to destroy the allure of extremism.

You can't, conservative thought is too inviting to those that are susceptible. The "It's not you it's <x>" reasoning that sells really well with people. We should hold those responsible that sell this bullshit to those pliable enough to follow. They just want to get rich and/or power, and they don't care of how they do it.

I mean look at Venezuela, and how the threats of trump are already turned into "Nationalist boasting". It is just too easy to rally people behind their emotions. :(. That guy is supposed to be a lefty, but enriches himself and uses nationalism to get what he wants.

These people don't care and never will. So time to hold them responsible for the crimes committed by their followers. If your followers kill someone, you go to jail just as long. So you better make sure your message is one that doesn't incite!
 

Sloane

Banned
It just doesn't make sense period. ETA is a nominally separatist movement. Catalunya is a province in Spain which is about to go through with its own separatist referendum. If the attack happened in Madrid there might be an angle for an ETA attack but this doesn't fit because there really isn't a motive for ETA to attack a place like Barcelona.
They bombed a shopping center in Barcelona in the 80s but, yeah, it's unlikely today.
 
It just doesn't make sense period. ETA is a nominally separatist movement. Catalunya is a province in Spain which is about to go through with its own separatist referendum. If the attack happened in Madrid there might be an angle for an ETA attack but this doesn't fit because there really isn't a motive for ETA to attack a place like Barcelona.

Not for years and there has been a ceasefire since.
The chances of this not being Isis(or similar) extremists are low.

Most ETA operations focused largely on attacking Spanish military personnel/officials or other symbols of institutional power structure. The one time they engaged in an attack that resulted in mass civilian casualties was the bombing of a supermarket in Barcelona in 1987 and ETA apologized for that as a "mistake" (some mistake, right?).

You guys are probably right but like I said there is no point in assuming or assigning blame before we know the facts.
 
This is Spain guys, we don't know if its ISIS or not. There are a number of different groups that could be responsible and have done terrorist attacks before.



You are right it doesn't match the profile of prior Spanish terrorist groups but that doesn't mean they can't see how easy and effective the car attacks are and copy it.

I may be misremembering but I think the focus of ETA attacks were military and police targets, not civilans, again IIRC
 

RocknRola

Member
RIP :(

My feelings to all my Spanish Bros. As a Portuguese this also hits hard here.


¡Mucho animo y fuerza de este lado de Iberia !!
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
My brother is there with his 4 young kids, wife, and my cousin. My niece just turned 10 and this was a birthday trip for her.

They all ran for their lives and are hiding in a bar. Police have the entire area on lock down.

I've been talking to them and they're okay. But this is truly fucked.
 

LiK

Member
My brother is there with his 4 young kids, wife, and my cousin. My niece just turned 10 and this was a birthday trip for her.

They all ran for their lives and are hiding in a bar. Police have the entire area on lock down.

I've been talking to them and they're okay. But this is truly fucked.

Glad to hear they're okay.
 
My brother is there with his 4 young kids, wife, and my cousin. My niece just turned 10 and this was a birthday trip for her.

They all ran for their lives and are hiding in a bar. Police have the entire area on lock down.

I've been talking to them and they're okay. But this is truly fucked.

Stay strong man.
 

Patrick S.

Banned
Just turned the TV back on and they were showing an overhead camera sweep over the place of the crime. Children and grownups lying in puddles of blood. I'm fucking crying.

And to the people who are desperate to post the pictures of the aftermath here in this thread: please fucking don't. Just go to fucking LiveLeak.
 

Audioboxer

Member
tO4inF2.png


Police possibly want bodies to be identified before giving total counts, as more than 1 person is dead from this.

Given the distance travelled and the fact the terrorist(s) still seem active I wouldn't be surprised to see figures in the high teens. This is why these sick fucks keep using large vehicles in crowded areas. They cause a lot of damage. If you live nearby check if hospitals need blood if you can.
 
People on Twitter are posting pictures of cats under the hashtag #Barcelona to counter the influx of people posting morbid pictures of the victims.
 

tauroxd

Member
So... is the thread title completely wrong? I see 1 dead?

RIP.

Oficially just one... But after watching the videos it is obvious that it is more than one :/ those fuckers. I doesn't matter what they believe in or why the did it, they are stupid fucking assholes.
 

Llyranor

Member
My brother is there with his 4 young kids, wife, and my cousin. My niece just turned 10 and this was a birthday trip for her.

They all ran for their lives and are hiding in a bar. Police have the entire area on lock down.

I've been talking to them and they're okay. But this is truly fucked.
Glad to hear they're safe.
 

Oriel

Member
Dude.


First it's entirely possible it's Spanish terrorists,

That's......highly unlikely. ETA has begun to disarm. Besides even if they were still around they wouldn't have resorted to this tactic. It's Islamist in nature, we can all be quite confident of that.
 

Breakage

Member
They [the terrorists] have cottoned on to the fact that vehicle-based attacks can deliver a high body count with little effort. And more importantly such an attack is hard to prevent. Why go to the trouble of becoming a bomb expert when you can hire a van and drive it into a crowd of people? In theory you could plan such an attack entirely in your head, ie you don't need to go the trouble of researching stuff and risk leaking your 'plan'; although, I don't believe attacks that are classed as lone wolf attacks are truly lone.
 

JBourne

maybe tomorrow it rains
My brother is there with his 4 young kids, wife, and my cousin. My niece just turned 10 and this was a birthday trip for her.

They all ran for their lives and are hiding in a bar. Police have the entire area on lock down.

I've been talking to them and they're okay. But this is truly fucked.
I can't imagine how terrifying that must have been. I hope his kids recover from this.

This is so fucking horrible.
 

Acidote

Member
One of the terrorists is apparently identified according to El Pais with name, photos and facebook handle (with comments open and receiving thousands of messages), a maghrebi muslim with French passport. From Marseille. Not saying the name though until they officially confirm it.
 
They [the terrorists] have cottoned on to the fact that vehicle-based attacks can deliver a high body count with little effort. And more importantly such an attack is hard to prevent. Why go to the trouble of becoming a bomb expert when you can hire a van and drive it into a crowd of people? In theory you could plan such an attack entirely in your head, ie you don't need to go the trouble of researching stuff and risk leaking your 'plan'.

Its a simpler evolution from what started in Beirut in 1981 with the embassy bombing using a van.

Like you said its easier to plan and doesn't require any expertise. Whether that be an individual or a group plan, its easier to carry out. It takes advantage of a lot of things from the terrorist playbook, like hiding in plain sight and not caring if you end up dead. Unfortunately, this will likely become more common.
 

kulapik

Member
A second van rented by the alleged terrorists was found at almost 45 miles from Barcelona. This was sadly a planned attack.
 

Plum

Member
Just fucking horrible. These tragedies are becoming depressingly more common, it's disgusting. RIP to those killed and I can only hope those injured come out OK.
 
Seriously, Some are saying that it could ETA? Are you out of your mind?

One week ago, the tourismphobia movement complained that Las Ramblas was more overcrowded than ever. They have picked exactly the place where the carnage would be the worst.

And to think many people were coming to vacation in Spain because it was seen as safer than other EU countries... There's no words for such cruelty.
 
I'm seriously considering canceling my Barcelona/London/Paris trip coming up in October - it's like all he signs are telling me no.

Unbelievable I can't ...

My HEART is out to all the victims
 

IaN_GAF

Member
Strength to our sisters and brothers in Barcelona.

For those asking if terrorism should stop you from visiting the beautiful locations of Europe; only if you would like to let the terrorism work.
 

Oersted

Member
We will continue to see these attacks because Isis is losing.

Their hail mary are attacks in the west, because it makes them look more "powerful" than they are, gets them more attention and its their hope it riles up people and make them attack muslims/Islam and thus muslims joining their losing battle.

Anyway fuck them and rip to the victims.
 

Breakage

Member
Its a simpler evolution from what started in Beirut in 1981 with the embassy bombing using a van.

Like you said its easier to plan and doesn't require any expertise. Whether that be an individual or a group plan, its easier to carry out. It takes advantage of a lot of things from the terrorist playbook, like hiding in plain sight and not caring if you end up dead. Unfortunately, this will likely become more common.

Yup I agree.
 
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