The southern bay of Ceuta appeared this Sunday covered with flags of Spain and gestures of support for the Ceutí people, in a day marked by the sailing of the so-called "Armada of Solidarity" and by a motorcycle gathering that later took to the main streets of the city.
The solidarity flotilla, made up of around a hundred boats mainly from the Costa del Sol and various ports in the province of Cádiz, to which several Ceutí vessels have joined, sailed off the coast of the city sounding their horns and displaying national flags, while their occupants chanted slogans like "you are not alone".
The first boats began to dock at the Ceuta Marina on Saturday, coming from various points in Andalusia. That day around 60 boats arrived, welcomed by numerous neighbors who greeted them with applause and shouts of "Ceuta is not alone".
At noon this Sunday, the boats began to leave the marina in a staggered manner to undertake a joint crossing through waters near the city. The itinerary passed through the area of San Amaro and El Desnarigado until reaching the beach of Chorrillo, a key point of the route.
Hundreds of Ceutí people gathered on the beaches of Chorrillo and Ribera to greet the passage of the flotilla. Amid applause, many attendees waved flags of Spain and Ceuta, and some followed the maritime parade visibly moved, even coming to tears at the scene.
During the crossing, songs like "Viva España" and "Resistiré" sounded from the boats, while the horns of the vessels set the rhythm of the journey and reinforced the festive and reivindicative atmosphere in the bay.
In parallel, since 12:00 hours a motorcycle gathering has been held at the Murallas Reales, next to the southern bay, where dozens of motorcyclists also wanted to show their support for the city with a massive and noisy presence.
According to the organizers, the initiative aimed to peacefully express the participants' concern about the current situation in Ceuta and to demand the defense of security, coexistence, territorial integrity, and the interests of the Ceutí citizens.
After the concentration at the Royal Walls, the motorcyclists have carried out an organized route through several main roads of the city to the vicinity of the Government Delegation, also displaying flags of Spain and chanting slogans like "Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta defends itself" and "Ceuta is Spain".