{"id":79892,"date":"2026-09-03T07:41:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T07:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/79892\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T07:41:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T07:41:59","slug":"spain-stands-with-ceuta-as-hundreds-of-thousands-rally-against-pedro-sanchez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/79892\/","title":{"rendered":"Spain Stands with Ceuta as Hundreds of Thousands Rally against Pedro S\u00e1nchez"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Spain on Wednesday in solidarity with Ceuta, demanding stronger border controls and condemning Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez\u2019s handling of the migration and security crisis that has gripped the Spanish enclave since more than 80,000 illegal migrants entered from Morocco at the end of July.<\/p>\n

The demonstrations were held on Ceuta Day and followed a nationwide call<\/a> by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), which urged local authorities to rally under the message \u2018Ceuta somos todos\u2019 (\u2018We are all Ceuta\u2019). Protesters carried Spanish and Ceuta flags and repeatedly chanted \u2018Ceuta no se vende, Ceuta se defiende\u2019 (\u2018Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta will be defended\u2019), while calls for S\u00e1nchez\u2019s resignation were heard across several major demonstrations.<\/p>\n

Madrid\u2019s Plaza de Cibeles drew 50,000 people according to the Government Delegation, while City Hall estimated 150,000. Right-wing opposition figures, including Partido Popular leader Alberto N\u00fa\u00f1ez Feij\u00f3o, Vox leader Santiago Abascal, Madrid regional president Isabel D\u00edaz Ayuso, and Mayor Jos\u00e9 Luis Mart\u00ednez-Almeida, all joined the demonstration. Speaking at the protest, Almeida demanded the effective return of those who entered Ceuta illegally and called for Spain and the EU to defend the country\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n

Andalusia alone saw more than 160,000 participants, according to the Government Delegation, with demonstrations held across all eight provinces. Tens of thousands packed Zaragoza\u2019s Plaza del Pilar, while thousands more rallied in the Basque Country, and large protests were held from Valencia and Murcia to Castilla y Le\u00f3n, Galicia, Asturias, the Canary Islands, and the Balearics, across more than 400 locations nationwide.<\/p>\n

Spanish World Cup winner and Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo also voiced solidarity<\/a> with Ceuta during a protest in his hometown of Terrassa, saying that \u2018we are all with them\u2019 and arguing that difficult moments should unite the country just as sporting triumphs do.<\/p>\n

A separate demonstration outside the Congress of Deputies in Madrid ended in clashes between protesters and riot police, with social media footage showing authorities charging the crowd. Four people\u2014two adults and two minors\u2014were arrested, while four National Police officers were injured. Officers dispersed parts of the crowd with tear gas and rubber bullets.<\/p>\n

Solidarity with Ceuta was not confined to Spain, as hundreds of MEPs<\/a> and European Parliament staffers also gathered in Brussels. All right-wing groups were represented; EPP president Manfred Weber attended alongside EPP secretary-general Dolors Montserrat, Vox delegation leader Jorge Buxad\u00e9, Fratelli d\u2019Italia delegation chief Carlo Fidanza, and representatives of the ECR, Patriots for Europe, and ESN. None of the left-wing groups of the EP showed up at the protest.<\/p>\n

The protests came amid fresh evidence raising questions over Morocco\u2019s role in the mass invasion. A National Police intelligence report submitted to the Audiencia Nacional described the incident as \u2018planned\u2019, rather than spontaneous, and said uniformed Moroccan gendarmes and plainclothes operatives had actively guided illegal migrants towards crossing points.<\/p>\n

The findings emerged just two days after S\u00e1nchez categorically said there was \u2018no information\u2019 from Spanish security or intelligence services pointing to Moroccan involvement.<\/p>\n

In Ceuta itself, initial estimates put turnout above 20,000, while organizers later claimed more than 25,000 participants in a city of around 84,000. Protesters demanded stronger border controls, the return of illegal migrants, additional state resources, and greater EU involvement in the crisis.<\/p>\n

Related articles:<\/p>\n

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