Tens of thousands of citizens said enough this afternoon in the center of Madrid, filling a Cibeles square not only to show their solidarity with the people of Ceuta – coinciding with the Autonomous City Day – but also to criticize the “disastrous” management of Pedro Sánchez, who monopolized all the speeches: both those of the common people and the political representatives of the People’s Party.
Read more Two Moroccans arrested for assaulting civil guards on Trampolín beach, in Ceuta
Although the start of the call was at 8:00 p.m., to coincide with other simultaneous mobilizations called throughout the country, from 7:00 p.m. floods of people, many dressed with Spanish flags, were arriving at this central enclave, which quickly began to overflow through its surrounding arteries. According to the Government Delegation, there were 50,000 people; according to the Madrid City Council, 150,000.
“Sánchez is anti-Spanish, a traitor to the homeland. He cannot remain president for one more second, the image we are giving in Europe will cost us dearly,” stated a participant loudly, receiving some signs of approval from the people around her.
Throughout the afternoon chants were continuously shouted supported by hundreds of national flags alongside other Ceutan ones. Slogans were also shouted that started anonymously and were repeated by almost the entire square: “Ceuta, hold on, Spain rises”, “Ceuta is Spain” or “Expulsion, invaders”.
“And the other day he still came out and said he had mobilized all the resources at his disposal… Can anyone be more of a liar and a traitor? Let’s see if we react and rise up, because this cannot and should not be tolerated,” assured Melchor, amid the shouts of the crowd of “Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta is defended”.
Some giant banners read “Pedro Sánchez to prison”. Others, smaller, directly displayed an image of the president behind bars. “But how do you put that photo, you even make him look handsome!” Menchu said to the carrier of the sign. “Well, his normal face already scares me,” she replied.
There was also some mention of the Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who was directly accused of having “destroyed all of Ceuta.” “If it is as safe as some say, let them take their families there for summer. Not that, right? Bunch of hypocrites…”, stated another of the gathered.
The event was closed by the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who showed on behalf of all the city councils the “firm and unequivocal support for Ceuta and all Ceutans”, as well as the recognition to all public workers for their work during these weeks. He also stated that they will remain firm against the massive and irregular entry of people, something that ignited the Cibeles square which corrected the mayor. “Entry no, it was an invasion”, they shouted from the asphalt.
The Madrid president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who was there alongside the PP president, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, said at the end of the gathering: “They have not stopped lying since they arrived, they came lying, they keep lying […]. This has been too much for them and this government should resign urgently. They have abandoned us, not only the Ceutans, but all of Spain before the eyes of the world.”
Read more Images showing the involvement of Moroccan agents in the invasion of Ceuta
