Ceuta residents had had enough of the Spanish government’s inability to solve the deteriorating security crisis caused by the thousands of illegal migrants still in the enclave after the mass invasion of more than 80,000 from Morocco at the end of July.
Groups of residents moved on migrant encampments at Playa del Trampolín late on Wednesday after more than 2,000 people marched through Ceuta against Madrid’s handling of the crisis, turning a mass anti-government protest into direct action on the streets.
Footage spreading rapidly across Spanish social media appeared to show hundreds of locals advancing towards the beach, tearing down makeshift shelters and forcing migrants away from parts of the encampment. Videos shared by Vito Quiles, El Imperial and other accounts showed crowds moving along the seafront as police vans and riot officers rushed into the area.
Local reporting confirmed that at least some residents reached the sand despite police efforts to keep the two groups apart. El Pueblo de Ceuta reported that tents were destroyed and blankets and mattresses were thrown into the sea, while migrants grouped together away from the advancing crowd. The outlet also said WhatsApp groups were organizing ‘batidas’, or sweeps, aimed at expelling migrants from public spaces.
El Faro de Ceuta said the Policía Nacional’s UIP riot unit deployed in large numbers around Benítez and Trampolín to prevent a direct clash.
The unrest spread beyond Trampolín as the night progressed. El Faro reported that groups of residents moved into Hadú, where illegal migrants ran from the area as a large crowd approached, while similar incidents were reported elsewhere in the city.
The confrontation came only days after authorities tried to dismantle the Trampolín camp. Police moved more than 1,200 migrants from the beach on 20 August, but hundreds returned within hours and the settlement began rebuilding. By Tuesday, fresh clashes had already erupted there during a Red Cross food distribution, with police using tear gas and rubber bullets.
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