Campo gatherings held in solidarity with Ceuta amid migrant crisis

Public gatherings were held in Algeciras and La Línea on Tuesday in solidarity with Ceuta and its population, as the migrant crisis in the Spanish enclave in north Africa entered its 35th day.

Although no official figures were available, thousands of people gathered at Plaza Alta in Algeciras, while hundreds attended a separate gathering at Plaza García Cabreros in La Línea.

There were similar scenes across Spain and in Ceuta and Melilla.

Wednesday's Spain-wide protests were called by the FEMP federation of municipalities, which is dominated by the main opposition conservative Partido Popular, creating some controversy around the demonstrations over claims of political exploitation of the situation in Ceuta.

The Spanish Government has defended its reponse and insisted Moroco cooperated early on once the scale of the surge became evident.

Despite this, there is a wide view that such a movement of people could not have occured without the passivity of the Moroccan authorities or, as many people, its direct involvement.

Rabat has denied deliberately allowing or orchestrating the mass crossing into Ceuta

In Algeciras, people carrying Ceuta and Spanish flags chanted slogans critical of the Spanish Government and the president, Pedro Sánchez.

The Spanish national anthem and the anthem of Ceuta were also sung and applauded by attendants.

The president of the Asociación de la Prensa del Campo de Gibraltar, Adrián Cortés, read an official statement from the city of Algeciras in support of Ceuta and its population, calling for solutions and recognizing the task of the population, institutions, law enforcement agencies and NGOs.

It called for a solution for Ceuta from the central Government, urging it to rise to the challenge quickly with resources and measures.

The statement ended: "Ceuta, you are not alone. You are and you will be Spain."

The Mayor of Algeciras, Jose Ignacio Landaluce, thanked those who had attended and asked the attendants to send their solidarity to the other side of the Strait.

Gathering in La Linea this evening.

In La Línea, hundreds of people gathered in Plaza García Cabreros in front of the city council flags.

The Mayor of La Línea, Juan Franco, called for respect towards those members of the Spanish Government who had been insulted during the gathering.

He distanced himself from those words, adding that the rally was not against anybody but was instead held in support of Ceuta and its population.

Earlier on Tuesday, the plenary assembly had unanimously approved a statement, including the PSOE group, which was read at the evening gathering.

The statement said: "This plenary has expressed solidarity and closeness with the people and institutions of Ceuta due to the extraordinary circumstances, recognizing the efforts of authorities, law enforcement agencies, social organizations and citizens."

Mr Franco called for proper assistance for migrant minors living on the streets of Ceuta, said to have been doing so for around a month.

He also called for the recognition of the border's singularities by higher administrations and for support from the European Union to help overcome circumstances such as the "migratory pressure".