More than 15,000 people demonstrated in Ceuta on Monday, demanding an urgent response from Spanish authorities and the European Union to a migration crisis that has been straining the Spanish autonomous city.
The protest was organized by the Four Cultures movement and brought together Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Jews in Ceuta's Plaza de la Constitución. Demonstrators marched under a banner declaring that Ceuta had had enough and would not surrender.
Religious representatives at the protest called for more human and material resources, greater attention to the city's borders, and a stable response that would guarantee security, humanitarian assistance and the continued functioning of public services.
The demonstration followed the massive arrival of migrants in Ceuta, many of whom reached the city by swimming, an influx that has caused dozens of deaths.
March to government offices
At the end of the protest, part of the crowd marched to the headquarters of the Government Delegation in Ceuta, where they directed criticism at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
International pressure mounts
The crisis is also drawing pressure from abroad. Italy and Denmark have criticized what they consider a lack of migration control, calling for reinforced deportations and adding pressure on Spain and Brussels to agree on a common response.
Between 8,000 and 11,000 migrants remain in Ceuta.
Calls are multiplying in Morocco for a mass entry into Ceuta and Melilla.
Doctors have called for urgent intervention in Ceuta from Spain's Ministry of Health.
