Several hundred Ceuta residents took to the streets again on Sunday to protest the mass influx of migrants into their city, which occurred last month and is still having an effect.
The protest took place on Sunday August 30th to mark one month since the massive entry of thousands of Moroccan citizens into the Spanish territory.
According to the Ceuta government some 9,000 immigrants still remain, while Spain’s central government claims it’s more like 5,000.
The march began in the central Plaza de África, next to the headquarters of the regional government, and moved through the streets to end up in Plaza de los Reyes, right in front of the headquarters of the Government Delegation.
READ ALSO – ‘We feel abandoned’: Clashes in Spain’s Ceuta as locals grow tired of migrant crisis
“Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta is defended,” “out with invaders,” and “delegate resign” were among the slogans shouted out through the crowds.
The protesters were also expressing their discontent with the government delegate in Ceuta, Miguel Ángel Pérez Triano, and have demanded that he resign due to his lack of action and solutions.
During the march, the protesters staged a sit-in on the road, causing a traffic disruption. Despite this, many drivers stopped and joined in the protest as well.
This comes after several days of protests over the last week.
READ ALSO: Spain urges calm after anti-migrant protesters clash with police
While some were peaceful, others ended in clashes after police fired tear gas to prevent confrontations with migrants camping on a beach, according to Spanish media reports.
A soldier was injured in a separate incident on Thursday August 27th when migrants threw stones at troops, while 12 Moroccan migrants were arrested.
“Violence is not the answer,” Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told parliament at the end of last week.
“I call for calm and an end to any form of violence, because… violence is not the way to resolve any problem with the complexity” of that facing Ceuta, he added.
The protest this Sunday remained peaceful and was attended many families who wanted to express discontent that solutions had not been provided, even a month after the incident.
READ ALSO: Four migrants arrested in Ceuta for throwing stones at Spanish soldiers
With additional reporting from AFP.
