Thousands of people took to the streets this month in dozens of Spanish cities to protest in solidarity with Ceuta, denouncing the actions of the Pedro Sánchez Government in the migratory crisis that hit the Spanish enclave in North Africa in July. The protests coincided with the celebrations of Ceuta Day and brought together more than 800 gatherings throughout Spanish territory, including around 20 thousand people in Ceuta and around 50 thousand in Madrid.
In Madrid, opposition leaders Alberto Núñez Feijóo (Popular Party) and Santiago Abascal (Vox) participated in the gathering in front of the city hall. Feijóo accused the Executive of having withheld police reports and left Ceuta unprotected, declaring that the city was "invaded and occupied with the Government's knowledge".
Faced with the contestation, Pedro Sánchez reacted with a video message on social media, reaffirming the Government's commitment to mobilize all means to resolve the crisis. The Minister for Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, however downplayed the community dimension of the protests, stating that the majority had strictly partisan funds to attack the Government.
In Ceuta, the president of the local autonomous Government, Juan Vivas (PP), focused on the unity of the population, emphasizing that the defense of the territory is done "with all the inhabitants of Ceuta, whatever they pray to". The day was marked by moments of tension in cities such as Valencia, where protests by extremist groups were recorded, while in other localities parallel demonstrations took place against racism and the political instrumentalization of the conflict.
