"Ceuta does not surrender": thousands of Ceutians take to the streets to demand a response to the migratory crisis

"Enough is enough", "Spanish Ceuta", "expulsion of illegals", "Sánchez resignation" or "Ceuta does not surrender" have been some of the chants sung by the thousands of Ceutians who took to the streets this Sunday to demand a response to the situation the city is going through after the massive entry of migrants on July 30.

The mobilization, jointly called by the Christian, Muslim, Hebrew, and Hindu communities and by the Provincial Federation of Neighborhood Associations of Ceuta, gathered more than 10,000 people according to the organizers and just over 5,000 according to the National Police. The protest lasted for just over an hour and without incidents. Thus, the concentration brought together residents of different ages, neighborhoods, and origins in a call intended as a show of unity of Ceuta society, above religious, cultural, or ideological differences. The flags of Spain and Ceuta and the slogans of the demonstrators filled the Plaza de la Constitución, the main stage of the protest.

The organizers insisted that the day should serve to reclaim the identity and needs of Ceuta, leaving aside political or religious differences. Among those present was the President of the City, Juan Vivas, along with members of the Assembly and representatives of different political parties, although the spotlight was on the citizens.

On the other hand, one of the focuses of the protest was directed against the Government delegate in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, whose absence was especially noted by the demonstrators. During the concentration, calls for "resignation" were heard directed at the Executive's representative in the city.

The central act came with the reading of the "Manifesto for the Unity of Ceuta", delivered by the president of the Hindu Community of Ceuta, Ramesh Chandiramani, on behalf of the religious communities and the neighborhood movement promoting the call. Before the reading, attendees listened to the Spanish anthem.

The manifesto began with a blunt declaration: "Ceuta is Spain", "We are Ceutians. We are Spanish. And we defend our Spanishness from unity, from coexistence and from mutual respect," proclaimed Chandiramani.

The promoters of the demonstration have described the moment Ceuta is experiencing as “extraordinarily critical” and have denounced that the city has suffered “a violation of territorial integrity.” In this context, they have demanded from the central Government, European institutions, and other administrations an “immediate, decisive, and proportionate” action to address migratory pressure, humanitarian needs, and security problems.

Religious communities and the Federation of Neighbors have called for a reinforcement of human and material resources, priority attention to the border, and a stable strategy that guarantees security, humanitarian assistance, the functioning of public services, and the well-being of the population. At the same time, the document has tried to disassociate the demand from any message of rejection towards the migrants who have arrived in the city and has placed coexistence as one of its main axes.

“This call is not born of rejection of anyone, but of responsibility towards everyone,” said Chandiramani, who has argued that preserving coexistence requires protecting both the dignity of those who arrive and the security of residents and social cohesion.

The four religious communities have also shown their willingness to contribute to the search for solutions and have appealed to shared principles such as peace, fraternity, solidarity, justice, and helping one's neighbor. The text closed with a message of confidence in Ceuta's ability to overcome adverse situations, appealing to the strength of its citizens and solidarity among its neighbors. The mobilization ended with a request to administrations to act with “responsibility, commitment, and responses,” a call to Spanish society to support the city, and an appeal to Ceutans to maintain serenity and remain united.