Ceuta residents hold carnation protests after attacks on migrant beach camps

Demonstrations across Ceuta

Hundreds of residents took to the streets of Ceuta on Friday evening in a series of mobilizations addressing the migration crisis in the autonomous city of 83,000 residents. Activities began around 19:00 when more than 100 people assembled outside the Government Delegation in Plaza de los Reyes. Participants, described by organizers as representing Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu communities, threw carnations at the building doors under the banner 'Without violence, without hatred, without racism' to protest perceived state abandonment. A second column organized by the platform Ceuta Unida departed from Puente del Cristo around 19:30, moving through residential districts to gather additional participants. National Police estimates placed the crowd at roughly 300 people initially, expanding to approximately 500 participants as the march passed a supermarket on Avenida de España. The crowd included families with baby strollers, local residents, and visitors who travelled from Granada and Valencia.

Arson and unrest at coastal settlements

The calm atmosphere marked a departure from intense unrest during the preceding 48 hours, which followed the arrival of thousands of migrants during mass border crossings on 30 and 31 July. On Thursday, groups of citizens attempted to block the delivery of food and medical supplies to migrants camped at El Trampolín beach, obstructing supply trucks and Red Cross ambulances. Later that night, dozens of people breached police cordons to harass migrants, demolish makeshift shelters, and set fire to huts on nearby Benítez beach. During Friday's march, participants paused at 20:00 to debate whether to march directly to El Trampolín beach. Demonstrators ultimately chose to proceed along Benítez beach under the escort of more than 15 National Police riot officers, while groups of migrants observed the procession from a nearby breakwater.

Administrative appeals and European assistance

Following the beach fires, Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas delivered a joint statement on behalf of every political group in the local assembly, calling on residents to preserve social peace. Organization for the protests occurred through neighbourhood WhatsApp groups spanning areas such as Polígono, Otero, Zurrón, and Mixto, where group messages urged participants to refrain from physical violence and leave incidents to law enforcement. On the same day, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska formally asked the European Commission for operational support. The Spanish government requested the deployment of teams from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and Europol to assist national security forces in screening and processing the migrants currently staying in Ceuta.