In Ceuta, mobilization against the arrival of the president of the far-right party Vox
Audio 01:21
Santiago Abascal, the founder and leader of the far-right Vox party, at a meeting in Madrid on November 8, 2019 (Illustrative image).
REUTERS / Susana Vera
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
A few hundred people gathered in a square in Ceuta to protest against the presence of the president of the far-right Vox party, Santiago Abascal, who wanted to hold a rally.
It was banned, because of the risk of unrest, while a week ago between 8,000 and 10,000 people arrived from Morocco in the Spanish enclave.
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With our special correspondent in Ceuta,
Magali Lagrange
No meeting, finally, for the president of the far-right party Vox on Monday evening, in Ceuta, but a few words in front of the press inside his hotel.
Santiago Abascal criticizes the ban on his rally and the counter-demonstration in front of his hotel.
He denounces the entry of 10,000 people into Spanish territory, and claims to defend secure and militarized borders.
In front of the building, there is a police cordon.
On one side, a few supporters of the politician, including this man with a Spanish flag in his hands: “
People who are old like me have the impression that it is like what happened in the Sahara, the Green March.
Monday, May 17, there was no school, businesses were closed.
And even today, we are afraid
!
".
"
We have four cultures here, which have always lived well together
"
Much more numerous, demonstrators hostile to the far-right leader formed a semicircle in the square in front of the hotel with cries of “
coward
”, “
racist
”, or even “
fascists
”.
A veiled young woman holds a sign on which is written "
made in Spain
" (
made in Spain
, in English).
►Also read: Report - In Ceuta, residents are mobilizing to help migrants
This other participant explains the reasons for her presence: “
We have four cultures here, which have always lived well together.
And this gentleman comes to spread hatred by taking advantage of a situation that from the start he called an invasion.
Now we have seen that they are children.
He wants to create hatred here, but we won't let him
!
"
Around 9:30 p.m., about fifty people try to enter the hotel from one side and throw eggs at the facade.
They are dispersed by the police.
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