More than a thousand Ceutíes have marched this Sunday through the streets from the urban center to the Tarajal border in a march organized by the Provincial Federation of Neighborhood Associations (FPAV). The objective has been to defend the Spanish identity of Ceuta and demand an immediate reinforcement of border protection in light of the current migration crisis.
The concentration has gathered protesters on foot and more than a hundred participants on motorcycles. The protest concluded near the border crossing with slogans directed at both Morocco and European institutions, including "Morocco, scoundrel, this is for the caballas" and "Europe, listen, Ceuta is your struggle!".
The mobilization began after 11:45 AM, when about 500 people gathered at the Juan Carlos I esplanade behind a large banner with the slogan "S.O.S. Ceuta invaded". Many attendees came carrying flags of Ceuta, Spain, and the European Union.
Simultaneously, around 120 motorcycles, with more than 200 people including drivers and passengers, gathered on Alcalde Sánchez Prado Avenue waiting to start the route to the border. As the march progressed, more motorcyclists joined the route.
Both groups converged shortly after 12:00 PM on the road leading to Tarajal and continued together until the vicinity of the border crossing. There, the protesters concentrated, and the motorcyclists parked their vehicles to join the protest on foot.
Throughout the itinerary, the march had a large security deployment, with several National Police vehicles opening and closing the route, in addition to the presence of the Civil Guard and military personnel. The attendees dedicated applause and cheers of gratitude to the members of the State Security Forces and the Armed Forces deployed in the city.
Messages directed at the European Union
The European Union has been one of the main recipients of the slogans chanted during the mobilization, where "Europe, listen, Ceuta is your struggle!" was repeated numerous times, in line with the content of the manifesto prepared by the FPAV.
The responsible parties of the federation, who have identified themselves with yellow vests, have opted not to read the manifesto in public upon arriving at the border due to the atmosphere generated among the participants. According to what they have indicated to Europa Press, the person who was carrying the text suffered an incident unrelated to the protest that prevented them from arriving on time for its reading, although the document has subsequently been sent to the media.
In the written statement, the FPAV claims to address "the public opinion, the national institutions, and the international community" to "raise their voice" in defense of the land, its citizens, and the "territorial integrity" of Ceuta. It defines the situation as an "invasion" and denounces "a systematic violation of our borders colonized by external inaction."
The organization also maintains that the security and coexistence of a population that, in its view, "feels unprotected against the border blackmail of those who use mass movements of people as a weapon of geopolitical pressure" have been disrupted.
The manifesto also includes a recognition of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, for her words of support for Ceuta in her speech before the European Parliament during the debate on the State of the European Union: "The border of Ceuta is a European border. Because Ceuta is Spain. Ceuta is Europe. And Europe will be there for you," the community leader recalled.
Furthermore, the federation mentions the recent resolution of the European Parliament on the instrumentalization of irregular migration as a "hybrid warfare tool against the territorial integrity" of Spain and considers that the EU institutions have acknowledged the situation that the autonomous city is experiencing.
Based on these premises, the FPAV formulates four demands directed at the Spanish and European authorities: an "immediate border shield," "immediate expulsions," the reinforcement of citizen security, and the end of "mass regularizations."
Regarding border control, it demands a "permanent and inflexible deployment of the necessary security forces to guarantee the absolute control of the border by the Spanish State" and calls for the application of "EU emergency laws to immediately return those who enter illegally."
"Ceuta is not a camp"
The federation also demands to restore calm in the neighborhoods, emphasizing that "Ceuta is not a camp," and calls for an end to the policies that, according to its analysis, may provoke a "pull effect."
The FPAV closes its manifesto underscoring that the Ceuta population has demonstrated "extraordinary resilience and serenity" and warns that "the patience of its citizens has a limit." "We demand security, we demand respect, and we demand that the words of institutional support translate into concrete actions to protect our land," concludes the document.
This mobilization adds to the various protests that have been held in Ceuta in recent weeks in response to the increase in migratory pressure and the situation at the border.