Thousands of Spaniards protested in Madrid and called for snap elections

Thousands of people protested in Madrid against the government led by socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, accusing the authorities of failing to protect Spain’s borders and calling for early legislative elections. Demonstrators also called for migrants who arrived in Ceuta to be repatriated to Morocco and for the prime minister to stand trial for “treason”.

Protesters marched through the centre of the Spanish capital, waving red-and-yellow flags and chanting “Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta must be defended”. The demonstration was organised by the right-wing civic group Sociedad Civil Española and backed by the People’s Party and the far-right Vox party.

The protest took place amid the crisis in Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa, where more than 7,000 migrants arrived from Morocco on 30 and 31 July. Most left within a few hours, but thousands remained in the city, many sleeping on the streets and placing pressure on local resources.

Estimates of attendance varied widely. The central government representative spoke of approximately 2,000 participants, while organisers claimed there were 180,000. The civic group called for snap elections by 15 November, although the next general election is scheduled to be held no later than August 2027. Leaders of the People’s Party and Vox said the government no longer enjoyed public trust and criticised plans to accelerate the repatriation of migrants from Ceuta to Morocco.