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While the UN devotes its human rights operations to the demonization of the democratic state of Israel above all others and condemns the United States more often than the vast majority of non-democracies around the world, the voices of real victims around the world must be heard.
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A victim is treated in Barcelona, Spain, August 17, 2017
Other terrorists, August 17, 2017
Barcelona terror attack: At least 13 reported dead after van plows into popular tourist area
Original source
The terrorists alleged to have plowed a van into a crowd of pedestrians in a popular tourist area -- resulting in at least 13 deaths -- were holed up in a Barcelona restaurant Thursday as images of the carnage, showing bodies lying crumpled and bleeding in the street, flooded forth from the Spanish city.
Spanish newspaper El Pais and Cadena Serradio station, citing police sources, reported least 13 people were killed in the attack. Police however on Twitter only confirmed one person was killed and 32 injured.
The incident took place on Las Ramblas of Barcelona, the famous main pedestrian walk way that crosses the city. Police described the incident on Twitter as a "massive crash."
Quoting unnamed police sources, El Pais reported two perpetrators of the crash were holed up in a bar in Tallers Street. There was no immediate police confirmation of the report.
In a photograph shown by public broadcaster RTVE, three people were lying on the ground in the street and were apparently being helped by police and others.
A grisly video of the incident appeared to show at least five people lying motionless on the ground, with legs twisted and heads bloodied.
"It was real chaos, people started running, screaming. There was a loud bang," eyewitness Ethan Spibey told Sky News.
Footage from reporters on the ground shows armed officers combing a market.
Barcelona resident Keith Fleming told the Associated Press he was watching television in his building on a side street just off Las Ramblas when he heard a noise and went out to the balcony to investigate.
Fleming said he saw "women and children just running and they looked terrified," he then heard a bang, possibly from someone rolling down a store shutter, as more people raced by.
The American living in the Spanish city said police arrived, and pushed everyone a full block down the street. He says the officers still are there with guns drawn and riot police stationed at the end of the block.
Catalan emergency services said people should not go to the area around Placa Catalunya, according to Reuters.
Witnesses told El Pais the driver ran over several people, and there were injured people lying on the ground.
One witness said the van "has trampled people while crossing the traffic light."
The Ministry of the Interior said on Twitter: "There has just been a massive crash on the Ramblas in Barcelona by a person with a van. There are injured."
Emergency services in Catalonia say they have asked the Metro and train services in the area to close.
Police cordoned off the broad street and shut down its stores. They asked people to stay away from the area so as not to get in the way of the emergency services. A helicopter hovered over the scene.
Facebook has activated its Safety Check feature that lets users notify friends and family that they are safe following the Barcelona attack.
The U.S consulate in Barcelona said on Twitter it was "aware of a reported incident at Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Please avoid the area and monitor local police @mossos for updates."
"Americans in Spain: If you are safe, be sure to notify friends and loved ones. If you use social media, be sure to update your status," the consulate tweeted.
The National Counterterrorism Center, the government hub for threat analysis, confirmed to Fox News the center is monitoring the events in Barcelona and note the use of a vehicle as a weapon.
Since July 2016, vehicles have been used to ram into crowds in terror attack across Europe, killing well over 100 people in Nice, Berlin, London, and Stockholm.
Las Ramblas is a packed tourist area in central Barcelona whose central feature is a broad promenade leading to the water. The stretch is lined with numerous shops, restaurants, a sprawling market and Gaudí architecture.
People walk down a wide, pedestrianized path in the center of the street, but cars can travel on either side of the area.
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