Riot police were deployed and fires broke out on a beach in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta as tensions escalated, weeks after tens of thousands of Moroccan migrants crossed into the territory. Officials reported that a military vehicle carrying four soldiers was attacked in the early hours of Thursday by about 70 migrants, who threw stones and other objects. The soldiers fled and called for police assistance, and police detained 12 migrants, all Moroccan, according to a spokesperson.
Protests and police response
Earlier on Thursday, dozens of protesters staged a sit-in to temporarily prevent Red Cross vehicles from reaching the beach to distribute food to hundreds of migrants staying in the area. Demonstrators, many waving Spanish flags, chanted “They should leave” and “Out with the Red Cross” before being dispersed by police. Police then charged protesters at the beach after demonstrators moved into the area where migrants have been sleeping, with some belongings set on fire.
The incidents follow police firing tear gas late on Wednesday to prevent confrontations between protesters and migrants camping on the beach.
Local concerns and official reaction
In July, tens of thousands of migrants swam or paddled to Ceuta, sparking panic among local residents, a spate of attacks, and concern among EU nations about their Schengen Area border control-free zone policy. While many have returned to Morocco, an estimated 7,000-10,000 have remained, with most making makeshift camps on Ceuta's sandy beaches, enraging locals who rely on tourism to survive.
Kissy Chandiramani, the autonomous city's finance councillor, warned that “the tension in the city of Ceuta is very high” because there is “no response” from the government and “we feel abandoned.” She also appealed for calm, saying people had the right to protest but warning that growing hostility would not resolve the crisis.
