In Madrid On Sunday, 25 October 2026, several thousand people took to the streets at the call of the platform Mujeres Caballas calling for swift state action to ease pressure on the Spanish exclave of Ceuta The march began at the Glorieta del Emperador Carlos V in Atocha, continued along the Paseo del Prado and Neptuno to the Plaza de las Cortes and ended outside the Congreso de los Diputados, where the organisers read out a manifesto.
According to Mujeres Caballas, the rally was explicitly addressed to the central government in Madrid. Its demands included a “return to normality” in Ceuta, increased border checks, changes to the Ley de Extranjería and a special package of measures for the autonomous city. Platform representatives stressed that this was a grassroots mobilisation originating in Ceuta, not a party-political initiative. There were no consistent official estimates of attendance by the afternoon; media reports put the number at several thousand.
The president of the city of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas (Partido Popular), travelled to Madrid and was seen alongside the demonstrators during the march. In brief statements, he highlighted the pressure on the authorities in Ceuta and called for swift decisions from the central government. Public broadcasters and news agencies gave consistent accounts of his presence and the route of the demonstration.
The protest comes amid a debate on migration and border management in Ceuta that has been particularly intense since the end of July 2026. Local stakeholders and civil society groups have repeatedly pointed to pressure on accommodation, administration and border checks, and called on Madrid and Brussels to take concrete steps that would have an immediate effect. It remains unclear what legislative or administrative measures the central government will take in response.
Established facts should be distinguished from attributions and assessments: it is established that the demonstration took place in Madrid on 25 October 2026, a manifesto was read out and Juan Jesús Vivas took part. The demands made by Mujeres Caballas are the organisers’ documented positions. Political responses from parties and ministries varied; no decision on specific measures had been announced by the evening.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).