TEMPO.CO, Barcelona - A jumble of flags, candles, teddy bears and flowers grew Friday at the base of ornate Canaletes Fountain, Barcelona. A local legend says that those who drink from the monument will fall in love with the city and always return.
The makeshift memorial sprang up with others along the historic Las Ramblas promenade, the site of a van attack that killed 13 people, injured 120 others and brought Islamic extremism to the heart of Catalonia.
Jesus Borrull, a lifelong resident, gently pushed through the crowd to kneel and pray in front of the Canaletes monument, which for two centuries has been a symbol of the city and a meeting spot for FC Barcelona soccer fans after a victory.
Read: PBNU: Barcelona Terror Attacks Harm Humanity
"The only thing we can do is go forward with peace and goodness," he said. "Even though it's difficult, we have to do it."
The promenade reopened to pedestrians early Friday and vehicle traffic later in the day as living along the usually bustling street began to return to normal, albeit under the watch of dozens of armed police in blue and neon-yellow uniforms.
Newsstands were again selling papers and souvenirs, and ice cream shops lifted their security gates. But the street's flower stalls stayed closed, and metal gates covered the entrance to La Boqueria, the expansive market that is one of the city's big tourist attractions.
Tensions flared briefly Friday evening when riot police held back a group of about 20-30 far-right protesters from reaching hundreds of counter-protesters at the start of the promenade. The far-right group held up a sign saying "Stop Islamization of Europe," while the counter-protesters held up their middle fingers and shouted "Barcelona, anti-fascist."
But the atmosphere was otherwise calm and unusually quiet as residents and tourists took stock of the carnage a day earlier and marveled at their own survival.
AP
