Ceuta Continues Nightly Protests Amid Escalating Tensions Between Residents, Authorities, and Media

Ceuta has entered its second consecutive night of protests over the ongoing migration crisis, with heightened social tensions and confrontations between residents and security forces. Tuesday’s demonstrations, which opposed plans to house migrants in the Coronel Fiscer barracks, were followed by new clashes on Wednesday, resulting in barricades, rubber bullet discharges by police, and port area blockades.

The protests have increasingly turned hostile toward media personnel covering the events. On Tuesday, a La Sexta reporter and cameraman were beset by agitated residents during their on-site coverage, an incident captured in a viral video showing aggressive confrontations despite minimal police intervention. That same day, an RTVE journalist opted to remove the microphone’s foam cover, a tactic widely interpreted as an effort to avoid attention.

Wednesday’s unrest included direct harassment of RTVE crews as National Police secured the Government Delegation, where key figures, including Interior Minister Angel Víctor Torres and Migration Minister Elma Saiz, convened with Ceuta’s president, Juan Jesús Vivas, via videoconference. The Federation of Spanish Journalists’ Associations (FAPE) and the Movimiento por la Dignidad y la Ciudadanía (MDyC) have condemned the press attacks as part of a broader pattern of escalating hostility, echoing previous incidents in Ceuta and Morocco’s neighboring town of Fnideq.

Local residents, many waving Spanish flags, chanted slogans like “Ceuta se defiende” and demanded expedited deportations for irregular migrants without asylum rights. As night fell, youths attempted to dismantle migrant shelters on Trampolín beach, prompting police intervention with rubber bullets. A contingent of demonstrators blockaded Avenida Teniente General Muslera near the port by dragging containers onto the road.

Residents voice mounting frustration over disrupted public services, with neighborhood association leaders citing overwhelm across police, medical, and sanitation departments. Municipal workers and civic leaders observed moments of silence to honor the crisis’s toll. Authorities report nearly 80,000 migrants entered Ceuta on July 30-31, though most have since been repatriated. Authorities have identified approximately 1,500 minors among the irregular entrants, marking a reduction from earlier estimates after removing duplicate records.

The unrest intensified following a pre-dawn ambush on July 31 in the Benzú area, where unidentified assailants attacked a police vehicle. Around 5:30 a.m., 30 to 40 individuals surrounded the vehicle, hurling stones and forcing officers to flee on foot. The assault continued as soldiers sought refuge, sustaining bruises and muscular pain. Emergency responders deployed National Police and Civil Guard units, apprehending 12 Moroccan nationals aged 35–40. Several suspects attempted evasion by entering the sea, prompting maritime searches. Authorities confirmed four injured soldiers received medical treatment.

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