The president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has expressed his support for the deputy of the Assembly of Ceuta from the local group Ceuta Ya!, Julia Ferreras, as well as for the activist Rafael Borrego and the lawyer Sofía Cánovas, after the aggression suffered this Sunday during a protest by Ceuta residents against the arrival in the city of the Pamplona NGO 'Negu Gorriak/Derecho a Techo'.
In a message published on 'X' and reported by Europa Press, Sánchez recalled that "We live in a democratic society that has cost us a lot to build. We cannot remain indifferent to the normalization of hate," also emphasizing that "violence is never the way."
The head of the Executive took the opportunity to convey his recognition "to the humanitarian work of all the members of the NGOs" that work in the autonomous city addressing the current migratory crisis.
The Minister of Youth and Childhood, Sira Rego, has joined the expressions of support in an interview on 'Cadena Ser', where she sent her "affection" to the assaulted individuals and held the right and the far-right responsible for fueling the "climate" that has led to the attack on the Ceuta deputy and the activists. In her opinion, words are not "neutral" and the use of the term "invasion" alters coexistence in the city.
Concern for coexistence in Ceuta
In the same vein, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has expressed his concern about what happened in Ceuta, recalling that the basis of coexistence in the city has always been "diversity and plurality," "regardless of the origin and creed" of the Ceutans.
In statements to 'Catalunya Ràdio', Albares criticized the manipulation and misinformation spread by the far-right on social media, which can "exacerbate and lead" the autonomous city to episodes of violence. "We are working for Ceuta to regain its normality and, above all, to preserve its coexistence," he pointed out.
For his part, the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, stated on 'TVE' that it is "absolutely unacceptable" that there is a "call for non-violence and people are attacked because they say they are part of an NGO."
Criticism of the far-right discourse
"No action of this caliber is acceptable," Torres has insisted, demanding an "absolute condemnation" because it is "unacceptable." He has warned that "This cannot be repeated because we are all trying to help to recover the normality of Ceuta," and has pointed directly at certain parties and leaders, such as the Vox deputy José Manuel Figaredo, for generating a "breeding ground" with messages stating that "immigrants must be hunted."
"He is sending a message of hate. He is provoking violence, he is exacerbating tensions and, therefore, they are responsible for that violence," the minister has denounced.
"There is no room for half-measures in this"
The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration and government spokesperson, Elma Saiz, has also expressed her "categorical" condemnation of the aggression: "Whoever does it, whoever the victim is, violence is never the way."
Saiz has warned that there are those who seek to give a "visceral" response to what happened in Ceuta, filled with hate that arises from misinformation and rumors.
For this reason, she has called for "not looking the other way" and has demanded "maximum responsibility" from political representatives. "There is no room for half-measures in this, we must condemn violence firmly," she concluded.