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Tens of thousands of people participated in demonstrations across Spain this week to express solidarity with the North African enclave of Ceuta and to criticize the central government’s management of a large-scale migrant influx that began in late July. The rallies, called by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, took place on Ceuta Day and occurred in the enclave itself as well as in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Bilbao and numerous other cities.
The protests follow a massive invasion of the enclave in late July. Between July 30 and 31, authorities recorded approximately 72,000 people crossing from Morocco into Ceuta, a territory of about 80,000–84,000 residents. Far-left Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has claimed that the majority of the illegal aliens returned since then, though thousands have remained.
Clashes have been recorded between Spanish nationalists and the illegal alien invaders, a number of whom have been living in makeshift tents along the enclave’s beaches and in cities.
Crowd estimates for the 2 September events varied. Government figures put attendance in Madrid at about 50,000, while Madrid City Council estimated 150,000. Additional estimates cited roughly 20,000 participants in Ceuta and 25,000 in Valencia, with smaller gatherings elsewhere.
BREAKING:
Mass-protests in Madrid tonight as Spaniards take to the streets across the country against illegal migration and the invasion of Ceuta.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 2, 2026