Thousands rally in Ceuta demanding answers ten days after mass migration from Morocco

Mass rally in Ceuta

Thousands of residents of Ceuta gathered on Sunday evening in the Plaza de la Constitución under the slogan "Enough already. Ceuta does not surrender" to demand answers from Spanish and European authorities over the migration crisis triggered by the mass entry from Morocco on 30 July 2026. The concentration was convened by the city's four religious communities (Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu) together with the Provincial Federation of Neighborhood Associations, and was explicitly kept separate from political parties. Attendance estimates ranged from more than 5,000 (National Police) to more than 10,000 (organizers, per 20minutos and El País) and more than 15,000 (organizers, per Europa Press). The rally began at 20:00 and lasted just over an hour without incidents. Participants carried Spanish and Ceuta flags and chanted slogans including "Enough already", "Ceuta is Spanish" and "Ceuta does not surrender".

The trigger and the toll

The protest came ten days after a mass entry from Morocco on 30 and 31 July. The number of people who crossed into Ceuta varies by source: more than 70,000 (El País), 72,000 (ABC), or 50,000 (La Razón). According to the latest data cited by several outlets, 83 people drowned attempting to reach Spanish waters. A minute of silence was called from the stage for those victims, but part of the crowd rejected the gesture and prevented the silence from being observed, according to El País. A man was heard saying "Well, we're off to a good start" as the murmur grew. The Ceuta anthem then played and the entire plaza joined in unison.

Political presence and absences

The president of the autonomous city, Juan Vivas, attended along with members of his government and representatives of Ceuta Ya!, PSOE and the Movimiento por la Dignidad y la Ciudadanía (MDyC). Vox did not participate. The government delegate in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, was absent, and protesters chanted for his resignation. Chants of "Sánchez resignation" and "Ceuta is not for sale" mixed with "Ceuta is Spanish" and "Long live Ceuta and long live Spain". Vivas had urged participation on Saturday, stressing that the rally was not tied to any party and that maintaining unity was "fundamental".

It is not anyone's concentration. It is not a concentration of any political party. It is not a concentration to benefit anyone in particular.

Vivas also stated that the goal was to show that Ceuta would overcome the situation and recover normality.

Manifesto and expulsions

Ramesh Chandiramani, president of the Hindu community and spokesperson for the organizing committee, read a joint manifesto in which the four confessions demanded "answers" from Spanish and European authorities and described the situation as "extraordinarily critical" following what they called a "violation of territorial integrity". The manifesto called for "peace, fraternity, solidarity, justice and help for one's neighbor" and insisted the protest was "not born from rejection of anyone". The organizers warned that the lack of resources "generates fear, tension or confrontations" among the population. Separately, the National Police reported seven judicial expulsions of foreigners who entered during the 30 July avalanche and had criminal records or open proceedings. The most recent expulsion was carried out on Saturday via the El Tarajal border crossing, affecting a Moroccan citizen detained after breaking into a home in central Ceuta and lying in the residents' bed. The individual also had an entry ban issued in Valencia.