Ceuta is a pressure cooker. The atmosphere that permeated this Wednesday’s massive mobilization against the crisis management suggests it could explode. Thousands of ‘caballas’ (Ceuta natives), with the Spanish flag as a common denominator, gathered late in the afternoon in front of the Government Delegation – where the sole commander, Minister Ángel Víctor Torres, was located – to demand for their city, “which is not for sale, but defended.” Weariness is giving way to anger. Concern to exasperation. “Invaders [referring to the immigrants who entered in an avalanche], expulsion,” chanted the majority. “Go get them,” shouted the minority, while running after some Moroccans who were still wandering the streets.
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The meeting point was the Plaza de los Reyes, in the city center, but attendees arrived walking from their neighborhoods, including the periphery. Spirits warmed up by the minute. A large police cordon protected the Government Delegation building. Inside, the head of Territorial Policy, accompanied by the Minister of Migration, Elma Saiz, appeared before the media to announce that the city’s sports centers would not be converted into immigrant reception centers, and therefore the royal decree published today in the Official State Gazette (BOE) would be updated to include “other spaces,” which he did not specify. Outside, hundreds of people attracted by social media shouted against everything that sounded like the central government.
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But above all, against the authorities’ plans to set up reception centers in different parts of the city, to provide shelter for immigrants until their expulsion files are resolved for having entered the country illegally. “Ceuta is not a CETI,” read a sign carried by a healthcare worker, referring to temporary immigrant stay centers. Residents feel that for a month now, their places have been taken away: the beaches where they spent Sundays or the schools where the academic year will soon begin. That’s why, they say, the time has come to take a stand. They have gathered, they warn, this Wednesday, but they will do it again tomorrow. And the day after…
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There were some moments of maximum tension. In the same Plaza de los Reyes, where a team from Televisión Española and Cuatro tried to do a live broadcast. They were heckled and assaulted, so much so that they had to abandon a packed square without being able to do their work. Later, when the concentration turned into a march, the demonstrators identified some youngsters, who were observing the crowd from a distance while recording, as immigrants. After shouts of “go get them, go get them” erupted, a group went in search of the young people, to which riot police had to intervene as a firewall.
Megaphone in hand, one of the demonstrators proposed forming “a human chain” to “get them all out” if the Government does not return the migrants to their countries. He proposed September 2nd as the deadline. If the pressure cooker doesn’t explode before then.
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