The outrage and exasperation of the people of Ceuta overflowed into the city’s streets yesterday to denounce the “abandonment” and “inaction” of the Government a month after the massive entry of immigrants on July 30. Carrying Spanish and Ceuta flags, more than two thousand people gathered at the doors of the Government Delegation, chanting slogans such as “Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta is defended,” “A ‘caballa’ never surrenders,” and “Ceuta is not a CETI,” in addition to demanding the resignation of the Government delegate in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, and the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez.
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The protest began in the O’Donnell neighborhood, in front of the Military Hospital, one of the locations considered by the central Government within the reception plan. The demonstrators showed their rejection of this and other spaces in the city being used to house migrants.
From there, citizens began a march towards Puertas del Campo, where new participants joined before continuing to the vicinity of the Government Delegation, where the concentration grew significantly, with more than two thousand people gathered in front of the building and shouting slogans against the actions of the central Executive while a meeting to address the crisis, chaired by the Minister of Territorial Policy and coordinator of the single command, Ángel Víctor Torres, was being held inside the building.
The demonstrators denounced the “inaction of the Government” and demanded a response that would resolve the situation of the migrants remaining in Ceuta after the crisis. Under the slogan “the people save the people,” the people of Ceuta expressed their exasperation with the situation. “We can’t even go out into the street,” they complained. “Do you know what it’s like to live locked up in fear? It’s over, now we’re the ones instilling fear,” claimed an attendee.
Slogans were heard against political leaders, repeatedly demanding the resignation of Pérez Triano and Pedro Sánchez.
National Police officers established a security cordon at the building’s entrances and always tried to keep the march on a single path, but they could not prevent some residents from breaking the cordon to access closed streets, shouting “invaders expulsion.”
A group of about 200 demonstrators headed to El Trampolín beach, where the most tense scenes occurred when some protest attendees went to the sandy area where numerous immigrants spend the night to confront them. “If they don’t want to leave, we’ll kick them out,” they shouted. “There are more police here than on the day of the jump,” some complained about the work of the security forces.
Officers prevented assaults and fired warning shots when a group of radical demonstrators covered their faces and confronted the migrants. “Get out, you sons of bitches,” they clamored. The immigrants present ran away scared.
This Wednesday’s mobilization occurred a day after Tuesday’s citizen protests and after the central Government clarified that facilities such as sports centers or other equipment included in the Royal Decree approved by the Council of Ministers would only be used in exceptional circumstances and with the consensus of the administrations involved.
The Executive’s explanations have not curbed the discontent of a part of the Ceuta citizenry, which in recent days has intensified its protests against the migratory situation and the fear that public spaces and other facilities in the city will be enabled for migrant reception.
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