The four religious communities in Ceuta — Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu — brought together hundreds of people in Constitution Square on Sunday afternoon to demand solutions to the migrant crisis and defend coexistence in the city.
The protest, held under the slogan "Enough is enough, Ceuta will not surrender", was marked by criticism of the government in Madrid, which some protesters accused of "abandonment".
"Ceuta is not for sale. Ceuta is Spain" and "Sánchez, resign" were among the chants heard from the crowd. Some protesters later continued the demonstration with a march towards the Government Delegation in the city.
Meanwhile, tensions flared in Plaza de los Reyes when Spanish far-right political activist Vito Quiles arrived, with some people in the crowd accusing him of coming to “divide” Ceuta’s residents.
The crisis has also fuelled political tensions over Spain’s decision to temporarily reinstate controls at ports and airports for travellers arriving from Italy, after Rome refused to lift controls it had imposed on passengers arriving from Spain following the events in Ceuta last week.
