Thousands hit Malaga streets in massive rally over Ceuta migration crisis

The rallies marked Día de la Ciudad Autónoma and drew huge crowds in nearly 20 of the main towns and cities along the Costa del Sol and the interior of the province.

The largest protest took place outside the city hall in Malaga. Although the rally was scheduled for 8pm, people started gathering long before, waving Spanish and Ceuta flags.

Among them were many Ceuta natives living in Malaga, who are following the news with concern, as relayed by their family and friends on the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar. The large number of protesters closed to traffic Passeo del Parque and Avenida de Cervantes.

At the height of the protest, people were occupying the entire road from the city council to the side closest to the port and from Rectorado to the Pedro Luis Alonso gardens.

The National Police estimate that 50,000 people attended the protest. The Local Police's calculations, based on the surface area of Paseo del Parque and the concentration of people, are much higher: between 120,000 and 140,000.

Whatever the exact number, there is no doubt that thousands of people from Malaga gathered for over two hours, chanting slogans and holding placards in solidarity with the people of Ceuta, while also voicing strong criticism of the central government's handling of the migration crisis.

"Sánchez resign" and "A united Spain will never be defeated" were the most frequent slogans. There were also many insults targeting the prime minister.

It was easy to spot the Ceuta natives living in Malaga. They were holding their local flags and wearing the shirts of the Ceuta football team.

Tamara and Rocío came along with some of their family. Tamara is a teacher at a secondary school in Cártama. Rocío, who is a laboratory technician at the blood transfusion centre, said: "The situation is concerning, devastating, frustrating..."

"There is a great deal of uncertainty, there are more and more intruders and the health service is overwhelmed. Children and teachers have to go to school under military protection. It is taking its toll on their mental health and they feel like second- and third-class residents," they stated.

"We've been left to fend for ourselves. It's even more shocking to see it there than what you see on the telly. You can't live there. It's horrible," Bella and José Manuel, who have come to visit Bella's daughter, a nurse in Benalmádena, said.

They're feeling the consequences even more keenly because they're both cleaning staff. "We're swamped with work."

"Malaga and Ceuta have always been twin cities. We have a great deal of affection for one another," José Manuel said, expressing his gratitude to the people of Malaga who came together in solidarity with them.

"We hope that, with the support of the whole of Spain, we can get through this difficult period," he stated.

Malaga Mayor Francisco de la Torre presided over the protest from the steps of Casona del Parque. A delegation of councillors from the ruling team accompanied him. There were no councillors from the socialist PSOE, IU and Podemos parties.

Also in attendance were Malaga-based regional ministers from the regional government of Andalucía, as well as business and education organisations representatives.

"This sense of unity, this strength that all of Spain's municipalities provide to Ceuta, is an enormous force," the mayor said. "Malaga's relationship with Ceuta and Melilla is special. No other relationship is physically closer or has a stronger connection."

"We express our full solidarity with the people of Ceuta, who have been feeling abandoned by the Spanish government, which has failed to rise to the challenge of the invasion of its borders. A month on, normality has still not been restored," regional minister of economy Carolina España stated.

"Today we are showing that Ceuta is part of Spain, that the whole of Spain stands with Ceuta. We are calling on the government to take all necessary measures to ensure that normality is restored as soon as possible and that the migrants who have entered the country irregularly leave," the authorities present stated.

As the gathering outside the Casona drew to a close, crowds of people carrying Spanish and Ceuta flags marched in an impromptu demonstration along the Paseo del Parque, heading towards Calle Larios and Alameda Principal, where the procession gradually dispersed.

More than 260 Spanish municipalities have officially endorsed rallies outside their town halls, in support of the initiatives 'Por Ceuta' and 'Ceuta Nos Une'.

The platforms estimate that between 5,000 and 10,000 people are living on Ceuta's streets, in inhumane conditions.

Demonstrations took place in around 30 towns in Malaga province, including Marbella, Mijas, Rincón de la Victoria, Benalmádena, Nerja, Benahavís, Fuengirola, Alhaurín de la Torre, Alhaurín el Grande, Antequera, Vélez-Málaga, Ronda, Torremolinos, Estepona and Coín.

The demonstration proposal, which originated on social media, subsequently received institutional backing from the Spanish federation of municipalities and provinces (FEMP).

The cental government's opposition, represented by PP and Vox, played the biggest role in the rallies. However, the organisers expressly requested that there be no political affiliations or mentions of parties during the demonstration.

Read dedicated local reporting for Malaga city