During protests against the arrival of the Navarrese association Negu Gorriak on 20 September 2026 at the Port of Ceuta car of regional MP Julia Ferreras (Ceuta Ya!) was attacked and damaged. According to consistent media reports, Ferreras, a member of the Flotilla de Gaza and a lawyer representing demonstrators were wrongly mistaken for members of the controversial group.
The Polizei arrested at least one person in connection with the incident. The rally had gathered that evening at the port of Ceuta after the arrival of activists from Pamplona had been announced. Calls circulated on social media beforehand, portraying the visit as a provocation and describing Negu Gorriak as “radical”.
During the protest, there was verbal abuse and property damage, culminating in an attack on the vehicle in which the politician was travelling. The Ceuta local government condemned the aggression on 21 September and expressed its solidarity with Ferreras.
It also called for the right to protest to be exercised within the law and for public order to be respected. Representatives of several political groups expressed concern about the escalation and called for the incidents to be investigated swiftly. Police say the investigation is ongoing.
As well as identifying other suspected participants, investigators are to reconstruct the specific sequence of events and consider possible offences. The previous evening, there had already been incidents in connection with protests against the group’s announced arrival; according to official reports, police fired warning shots into the air to calm the situation. Negu Gorriak announced that it would provide humanitarian support in Ceuta.
Opponents, however, accuse the association of political agitation. Local institutions stress both the protection of freedom of assembly and the need to protect people from violence and intimidation. According to security sources, how strongly the heated debate affects everyday life in the city will depend largely on whether further arrivals and counter-protests proceed in an orderly manner and whether targeted misinformation on social media can be curbed.
The attack on Julia Ferreras’s vehicle is the most serious documented incident so far connected with this weekend’s protests in Ceuta. The investigating authorities are considering whether it constitutes criminal damage, coercion or serious breach of the peace. Police have not ruled out further arrests.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).