CEUTA, Spain – Thousands of residents gathered in Ceuta’s Plaza de la Constitución on Sunday in a mass protest organized by the city’s four religious communities, denouncing government abandonment and demanding a response to the migration crisis triggered by the mass entry of migrants on July 30, which marked its tenth day on Sunday.
Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez Appears Legless in Ceuta Meeting Image
More than 10,000 citizens according to organizers, and over 5,000 according to National Police estimates, answered the call by the Christian, Muslim, Hebrew, and Hindu communities, alongside the Provincial Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Ceuta. The protest, held under the slogan “Enough. Ceuta does not surrender,” proceeded without incident for over an hour. The presence of thousands of people dominated the afternoon, with flags, voices, and messages filling the public space. Organizers emphasized that Sunday was not a time for political colors or religious differences, but for Ceuta and its people, as the city’s diverse communities sought to demonstrate that they share the same land and destiny.
Among those in attendance was Ceuta’s president, Juan Vivas, accompanied by members of the Assembly and representatives of various political groups, although institutional presence remained secondary to the citizen response. Representatives from Ceuta Ya!, PSOE, and the Movement for Dignity and Citizenship also attended. Vox, however, did not participate. One of the most notable absences was that of the Government’s delegate in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, who did not attend the protest and was met with chants calling for his resignation.
The Plaza de la Constitución was packed as attendees chanted slogans such as “Enough,” “Sánchez resign,” “Ceuta is Spanish,” “Expel the illegals,” and “Ceuta does not surrender,” while waving Spanish and Ceuta flags. The atmosphere was both defiant and serene, in line with the organizers’ call to maintain coexistence and avoid confrontation. The central moment of the mobilization was the reading of the “Manifesto for the Unity of Ceuta” by Ramesh Chandiramani, president of the Hindu Community of Ceuta, on behalf of the religious communities and residents who promoted the gathering. The manifesto began with a firm declaration: “Ceuta is Spain,” before asserting the city’s plural identity, built by generations of people of different faiths, cultures, and backgrounds, united by coexistence. “We are Ceutans. We are Spaniards. And we defend our Spanishness from unity, coexistence, and mutual respect,” Chandiramani proclaimed.
The manifesto described the current situation as “extraordinarily critical” and denounced Ceuta’s “violation of territorial integrity,” while demanding an “immediate, decisive, and proportionate response” from the Spanish government, European institutions, and all public administrations to address migration pressure, humanitarian needs, and security challenges facing the city. Following the official proceedings, many attendees spontaneously marched to Plaza de los Reyes, where the Government Delegation is located, renewing calls for Triano’s resignation and chanting slogans against the central government and its political leaders, demanding that the delegate “show his face” and leave his office, along with criticisms of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
Marlaska orders the police to use force against the Spaniards who wanted to boo Sánchez
Meanwhile, a separate protest against Sánchez took place on Saturday at the gates of La Mareta, in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote, where the prime minister is spending his summer holidays. The demonstration, organized by Hazte Oír, began at 12:00 PM and gathered around 50 people. It was the second mobilization organized this week outside the official residence, following a larger protest on Thursday evening that drew approximately 150 attendees, where signs were displayed and chants directed against Sánchez, his wife Begoña Gómez, and former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The protests are part of Hazte Oír’s campaign in Lanzarote coinciding with Sánchez’s stay on the island, which has also included billboards, stickers, and other critical messages targeting the government at various locations across Lanzarote.
