An MP has been slammed after being seen smiling and waving during a tribute to the victims of the Barcelona atrocity.
Eva Hogl, deputy chairman of the German Social Democratic Party, was caught on camera grinning and gesturing as party leader Martin Schulz gave a sombre statement about the attack on Thursday which killed 13 people when an ISIS jihadi drove a van into a crowd in La Ramblas.
He was flanked by several politicians and Ms Hogl appeared to be encouraging more to join them.
Her demeanour and facial expressions eventually changed to become more serious once Mr Schulz began going into detail about the attack.
German politician Eva Hogl, right, has been criticised after being caught on camera smiling and waving during a tribute to the victims of the Barcelona terror attack
Ms Hogl, deputy leader of the Social Democratic Party, was seen smiling broadly as she beckoned others to join her on the podium
Germans have criticised her on social media claiming she had ‘no respect’ and branding her actions ‘disgusting’, while others have called for her resignation.
She had since released a statement apologising for any offence caused by the faux pas.
The statement said: ‘It frightens me and makes me feel that because of an unfortunate film excerpt from me during a press conference of Martin Schulz to the terrorist attack in Barcelona a wrong impression arises. I apologise to anyone who was offended.
‘None of those who stood behind Martin Schulz at his press conference could first hear that he was talking about Barcelona.
‘I have seen our interior manager Andreas Geisel in the audience and gestured to him to come to us so we could talk later.
‘It was only after a few sentences that we, who were behind Martin Schulz, could hear that he was talking about the terrible attack in Barcelona.
‘This terrible terrorist attack in Barcelona affects me and all of us. We mourn with victims and relatives.
She became very animated for a short period of time, waving at others while her party leader Martin Schulz, centre, and other politicians looked sombre
Germans on social media have branded her actions ‘disgusting’ and she has since released a statement apologising for any offence caused
‘And we react: We strengthen the police and the courts to grasp and condemn the perpetrators.
‘We work together to fight, defeat and prevent terrorism. And as an elected member of the Bundestag, I am making my contribution.’
Police immediately cordoned off the city’s broad avenue and ordered stores and nearby Metro and train stations to close in the wake of Thursday’s attack.
Other witnesses also described horrific scenes and fearful crowds in the aftermath of the van attack, which has been claimed by the Islamic State.
The attack in the northeastern Spanish city was the country’s deadliest since 2004, when al-Qaeda-inspired bombers killed 192 people in coordinated attacks on Madrid’s commuter trains.