Support for Spain’s northern African enclave spilled onto Barcelona’s streets on the Día de la Hispanidad as thousands marched down Passeig de Gràcia behind a banner reading “Cataluña con Ceuta. Una misma España”. Backed by PP, Vox and Ciudadanos, the rally morphed into an early-campaign showpiece with chants against Prime Minister Sánchez and visible far-right groups. The demonstration forced transport adjustments. Aerobús, the main express bus linking Plaça Catalunya with El Prat Airport, announced that from 11:00 to 20:00 it would skip its flagship city-centre stop, starting services instead at Gran Via/Balmes and terminating inbound journeys at Plaça Universitat. Travellers were advised to allow extra time and connect via Metro lines L1 and L2. City police closed sections of Gran Via and adjacent arteries, causing diversions to several municipal bus lines and ride-share pick-ups. No flights were cancelled, but ground-handling firms reported pockets of passenger congestion at Terminal 1 check-in around midday. For mobility coordinators, the episode illustrates the domino effect of domestic political rallies on international travel—even when the underlying issue (in this case, solidarity with Ceuta) is hundreds of kilometres away. Companies routing assignees through Barcelona on Spain’s national holiday should factor in similar civic-protest patterns for future years, especially when migration is high on the political agenda.
Source: El País / Aerobús Service Notice
