Málaga capital and around twenty municipalities in the province showed their support for Ceuta on Wednesday with massive gatherings. The largest, in front of the Town Hall of Málaga, gathered up to 140,000 people according to the Council.
The province of Málaga rallied on Wednesday for Ceuta in a day of support that translated into large gatherings in nearly twenty cities along the Costa del Sol and inland. The most crowded, as reported by Diario Sur, took place in front of the Town Hall of Málaga, where thousands of people, many with flags of Spain and Ceuta, demanded solutions to the migration crisis. The event, scheduled for 8:00 PM, forced traffic to be cut off on the promenade of the Park and Cervantes Avenue due to the massive turnout.
At its peak, the crowd occupied the entire roadway from the Council to the nearest side of the port, and from the Rectorate to the gardens of Pedro Luis Alonso. Attendance figures varied by source: 50,000 people according to the National Police, which informed the Government Subdelegation, and between 120,000 and 140,000 according to estimates from the Local Police. The Council justified its estimates based on the 30,000 square meters occupied in the Park area, with an average of four people per square meter.
Among the attendees were many Ceutí residents in Málaga, who were following the news about their relatives with concern. Tamara, a teacher at a high school in Cártama, attended with flags of her city and Spain: "There is a lot of insecurity, there are more and more invaders, and the healthcare system is collapsing. Children and teachers have to go to school with military protection. They feel like second and third-class citizens," she denounced. Bella and José Manuel, cleaning workers from Ceuta visiting their daughter, a nurse in Benalmádena, described the situation: "We are abandoned, it’s shocking to see it there more than what comes out on TV. It’s unbearable, it’s horrible."
The most shouted slogans were "A caballa never surrenders", "Sánchez resign", and "Spain united will never be defeated", along with criticisms of the central government for its management of the migration crisis. At the foot of the steps of the Casona del Parque, the event was presided over by the mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre, accompanied by councilors from the governing team and representatives of VOX. There were no councilors from PSOE, IU, or Podemos. The Andalusian government councilors from Málaga Carolina España, Mario Muñoz-Atanet, and Rocío Blanco, among others, also attended.
On behalf of the Ceutí community in Málaga, Montse Blanco, a municipal official, read a manifesto. De la Torre reminded everyone of the reason for the gathering: "35 days ago, the border of Ceuta was crossed in an invasion of tens of thousands of people, who occupied the city. That can never happen again, we want solid, strong borders that defend the territorial integrity of Spain." The vice president of the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Málaga, Natalia Sánchez, and the rector of the University of Málaga, Teo López, also joined the event.
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