Enough is enough. That was the message from the streets of Ceuta on Sunday as thousands said the city cannot be left exposed again.

Thousands of residents packed the streets of Spain's North African city of Ceuta on Sunday, August 9, 2026, under a very clear slogan: Enough is enough. Ceuta does not give up.

Footage seen by cbinews.tv shows protesters waving Spanish and Ceuta flags and chanting The people united will never be defeated, and the people will not be silent. Some held banners reading Ceuta invasion, Pedro resignation.

Anger was running high after the unprecedented scenes on 30 and 31 July, when tens of thousands of people crossed into the city from Morocco by land and sea.

One demonstrator told cbinews.tv, This cannot be allowed to happen again. Eighty thousand people arriving in a city in just two days leaves us completely exposed. This has to be stopped.

“I’m here at the demonstration because what motivated me to take part, besides the fact that I care deeply about my hometown, Ceuta, is that for many days now I’ve had two children at home who are unable to go out. And I don’t understand it. They are 18 and 13 years old; they want to go out with their friends, it’s summer, but they can’t. They can’t go to the beach, they can’t go around the neighbourhood, they simply can’t go out. That is what motivated me to take part in this demonstration.”

Another was even more blunt.

“We are here to defend this city. We have been invaded by 60,000 people and, from my point of view, we are being invaded by the Kingdom of Morocco. I do not doubt that. Governments may have their doubts for diplomatic reasons, but my position is clear”, Natalia Herrera said.

Many at the rally accused the central government in Madrid of abandoning Ceuta, criticising its handling of the crisis and demanding stronger policing and border protection.

Others struck a more sombre tone, pointing to the human cost of the crossings.

The crossings overwhelmed local reception facilities and forced Spain to deploy additional security forces. At least 100 people are believed to have died trying to reach the city by sea, while families in Morocco have reported relatives missing since the mass movement.

Spanish authorities later said most of those who entered had returned to Morocco, although several thousand remained in Ceuta.

Organisers said the demonstration was a show of unity, organised jointly by Ceuta's Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu communities.

They put attendance at more than 10,000 people, while Spain's National Police estimated the crowd at around 5,000.

Ceuta and Melilla form the European Union's only land borders with Africa and have long been major migration routes into Spanish territory.

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