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Thousands Rally Across Spain in Support of Ceuta Residents
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Conflict & Security

Thousands Rally Across Spain in Support of Ceuta Residents

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • Thousands of people demonstrated in Madrid, Ceuta and other Spanish cities in support of Ceuta’s residents after the arrival of more than 70,000 migrants on July 30 and 31.
  • Spanish government figures say about 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta, which has faced socioeconomic and security problems for more than a month.
  • Demonstrations in Barcelona included both pro-Ceuta and anti-racism gatherings, separated by a large police presence.

Thousands of people took to the streets in several Spanish cities to show support for Ceuta as the North African city continues to face the fallout from the arrival of more than 70,000 migrants on July 30 and 31.

Although most of those who entered later returned to Morocco, Spanish government figures say about 5,000 people, including Maghreb and sub-Saharan migrants, remain in Ceuta. The border city has faced a serious socioeconomic and security crisis for more than a month.

When a border is at risk, all of Spain must stand behind it.

— José Luis Martínez-AlmeidaThe Madrid mayor spoke at a demonstration supporting Ceuta and Spain’s territorial integrity.

In Madrid, leaders of the conservative opposition People’s Party and the far-right Vox joined the demonstration. Protesters called for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to resign. Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida read a statement defending Ceuta’s Spanish identity and Spain’s territorial integrity.

“When a border is at risk, all of Spain must stand behind it,” Almeida said. He called for a response from the Spanish state and the European Union, and demanded the effective return of everyone who entered Ceuta illegally. He also defended coexistence based on respect, without hatred or confrontation, while weighing human rights alongside security and border controls.

Ceuta is all of us.

— José Luis Martínez-AlmeidaHe used the slogan while closing the Madrid rally.

The Ceuta demonstration moved through the city under the slogan “Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta must be defended.” Residents and representatives of various groups carried Ceuta and Spanish flags in what organizers described as the largest mobilization in the city’s recent history. They sought to project unity and demand support as the city deals with the consequences of the mass arrival.

Barcelona hosted rival gatherings in the city center, separated by a large police deployment. Unitat Contra el Feixisme i el Racisme organized a protest under the slogan “No to racism. Neither in Ceuta nor anywhere. No person is illegal.” Representatives of the People’s Party and Vox attended a separate gathering organized by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces in support of Ceuta. Earlier, Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas presided over an institutional ceremony for Ceuta Day attended by two ministers.

No to racism. Neither in Ceuta nor anywhere. No person is illegal.

— Unitat Contra el Feixisme i el RacismeThe anti-racism platform used this slogan at its Barcelona gathering.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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