From 10 a.m. local time on 26 September, Madrid’s city centre echoed with chants of “¡Ceuta, resiste!” as the second “Marcha por la Dignidad” set off from Plaza de Cibeles toward Moncloa. Organised by the umbrella group Sociedad Civil Española and backed by opposition parties PP and Vox, the demonstration drew several tens of thousands of participants, according to organisers. Protesters carried Spanish and Ceuta flags and demanded both the immediate return of migrants who arrived in July and the calling of national elections. Speakers accused Prime Minister Sánchez of yielding to Moroccan pressure and failing to protect Spain’s external frontier. Vox leader Santiago Abascal reiterated his party’s call for applying Article 102 of the Constitution against Sánchez, while PP officials pushed for "urgent" legal changes to permit faster deportations. The mobilisation illustrates the extent to which the Ceuta incident—originally a border-management challenge—has morphed into a nationwide political litmus test. It also keeps migration firmly on the public agenda just as the Government prepares its decree on accelerated expulsions. For global-mobility programmes the demonstration is another reminder that social stability in major business hubs can be affected by migration debates. Travel into Madrid’s central district faced road closures and disruptions for several hours, while heightened rhetoric may influence future regulatory decisions on work permits, border controls and Schengen suspensions.
Source: Euronews
