A fleet of approximately 50 vessels departed from the Costa del Sol and various other Spanish ports this past Saturday, heading toward Ceuta in a display of support. This initiative, known as the Fleet of Solidarity with Ceuta, brought together about 120 participants under the banner, "We are all Ceuta, Spain responds as one." To facilitate the event, organizers secured up to 60 free berths within the city's harbor for the arriving vessels.
Rather than traveling as a single, unified convoy, the skippers navigated independently from their respective home ports across the Strait of Gibraltar to reach the autonomous city. The participants have a series of activities scheduled throughout the weekend, including a guided tour of the city and a dinner hosted at the Yacht Club. On Sunday, the fleet is expected to conduct a collective voyage through the waters surrounding the city. Following this, boats from mainland Spain and those based locally in Ceuta plan to gather in the southern bay to deliver a message of unity between Spaniards on both sides of the Strait, according to the initiative's programme.
The event was organized in response to the intense migratory pressure experienced in Ceuta on July 30 and 31, when tens of thousands of individuals crossed irregularly from Morocco, marking one of the most significant border incidents in recent years. While the city saw several days of protests following the arrival of thousands of migrants, there are currently no new demonstrations planned for this weekend. Local sources noted that while no protests are scheduled, they could potentially occur at any time. A future demonstration is currently slated for September 2, coordinated by the Provincial Federation of Neighbours' Associations (FPAV) and the association Foro Ceuta Siglo XXI.
