Thousands of Ceuta residents took to the streets this Sunday in a massive demonstration that filled the Plaza de la Constitución to demand a response to the serious situation the city is facing following the massive influx of migrants on July 30th. According to the National Police, around 5,000 people attended, while the organizers raised the figure to more than 10,000. The protest, called by the main religious communities, was held under the slogan “Enough is enough. Ceuta does not give up.”
Attendees from the Christian, Muslim, Hebrew, and Hindu communities, together with the Provincial Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Ceuta, demonstrated without incident for more than an hour, in what they described as an unprecedented show of unity in the autonomous city.
Today there was no time for political colors or religious differences, but for Ceuta and the people of Ceuta, on a day in which the different communities of the city wanted to show that they share the same land and the same destiny. Although the institutional presence remained in the background in the face of the citizens’ response, there was a presence of some politicians such as the President of the City, Juan Vivas, accompanied by members of the Assembly and representatives of other groups.
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Reading of the manifesto and shouts against the Government
The central moment of the mobilization was the reading of the “Manifesto for the Unity of Ceuta,” by the president of the Hindu Community of Ceuta, Ramesh Chandiramani, representing the religious communities and the residents who promoted the call, and it was preceded by the Spanish national anthem, which played over the loudspeakers.
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Thousands of Ceuta residents gathered this Sunday to demand solutions to the migration crisis.
The manifesto began with a resounding statement: “Ceuta is Spain”, to then reclaim a plural city, built over generations by people of different faiths, cultures, and backgrounds, but united by the same coexistence. “We are Ceutians. We are Spanish. And we defend our Spanish identity through unity, through coexistence, and through mutual respect”, proclaimed Chandiramani. “Ceuta cannot face alone a situation that far exceeds its capabilities and that affects Spain and Europe as a whole”, the document states.
The manifesto has described the current situation as “extraordinarily critical” and has denounced that Ceuta has suffered “a violation of territorial integrity,” while calling on the Government of Spain, European institutions, and all public administrations for an “immediate, decisive, and proportionate” response to the migratory pressure, the needs for humanitarian aid, and the security difficulties the city is facing.
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All of this, accompanied, on different occasions, by the protesters themselves chanting slogans of “Enough is enough”, “Sánchez resign”, added to some insults, “Spanish Ceuta”, “illegal expulsion” or “Ceuta does not surrender”, among others, while flags of Spain and Ceuta were displayed.
Politicians as a focus of criticism
Once the official ceremony concluded, a large part of the attendees began an spontaneous march towards the Plaza de los Reyes, where the headquarters of the Government Delegation is located. The participants demanded the resignation of the Government Delegate in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, and chanted slogans against the central Executive and its political leaders. Among the slogans, there were calls for the delegate to “show his face” and leave his office, as well as criticism of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
Thousands of Ceuta residents have begun to gather this Sunday at the Plaza de la Constitución in Ceuta.
The National Police have established a security operation in the vicinity of the Government Delegation, with several police vehicles and riot control officers, and have cordoned off access to the building. The attendees also demanded the return of the migrants who remain in Ceuta following the mass entry and shouted slogans against the irregular presence of foreigners in the city. The gathering ended after the participants remained for more than half an hour in the Plaza de los Reyes without the Government delegate coming out of the headquarters.
