Clashes erupt in Ceuta as protesters confront police over migration crisis

Clashes between protesters and police erupted in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Thursday, August 27, as tensions over a months-long migration crisis intensified, following an ambush on a military patrol earlier that day. The unrest saw demonstrators set fire to migrant belongings and block aid deliveries, while authorities struggled to maintain order in the small territory. The violence escalated in the evening when several hundred protesters moved toward El Trampolín and Benítez beaches, where migrants have been camping. According to reports, some demonstrators tore down makeshift shelters and threw belongings into bonfires. Riot police intervened to push back the crowds and protect the migrant camp, with footage showing officers forming a cordon as migrants retreated behind them on a pier. Earlier in the day, dozens of protesters had staged a sit-in that blocked four Red Cross lorries for more than two hours, preventing the distribution of food and water. Demonstrators waved Spanish flags and chanted slogans calling for migrants to leave. Police eventually cleared the road, and aid operations resumed under heavy security. A convoy of ambulances was also briefly blocked.