Protesters set fire to migrant camp in Ceuta as tensions flare over ‘invasion’ & rioters clash with police

FURIOUS protestors have torched migrant camps in Ceuta as tensions flare over repeated border breaches into the Spanish territory. Shocking footage shows flames engulfing tents and thick smoke billowing in the air over the huge camps where thousands have been staying since a major border “invasion” last month. Locals torched the belongings of migrants camping on the beach on Thursday Credit: Marcos Moreno / Europa Press, S.A. / Avalon Huge flames were seen rising over the beaches Credit: Reuters Protestors wave Spanish flags as they battle for the removal of the migrants from their shores Credit: EPA Police patrolling Playa del Trampolin as migrants wait to enter a short-stay centre Credit: AP Photo/Antonio Sempere Cueta locals were seen waving Spanish flags after swarming the area and clashing with police guarding the camps. The locals took out their frustrations by smashing up the makeshift tents on the beaches. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Witnesses claimed some of the migrants responded by throwing rocks at protesters. Tensions boiled over after a horde of around 70 migrants attacked a military vehicle on Thursday – sparking angry retaliation from locals. Tents and makeshift shelters on Trampolín beach Credit: Pacific Coast News Dozens of Moroccans have set up camp on the beach Credit: Reuters One soldier inside the truck was injured by a flying stone with cops arresting 12 Moroccans over the suspected ambush. Many people are blaming the government’s lack of action to remove the migrants. Kissy Chandiramani, a finance councillor, told local news that “the tension in the city of Ceuta is very high” because there is “no response” from the government. “We feel abandoned”, she said on Thursday, adding that protestors should nonetheless stay calm because growing hostility would not solve the crisis. Most read in The Sun A local wrote on X: “These brave patriots cannot be blamed, considering that a month has passed since invasion began and no one has done anything.” Clashes between rioters and police have increased in recent days. On Thursday, dozens of protestors staged a sit-in to block Red Cross food packages from reaching the migrants. Many waved Spanish flags and chanted “they should leave” and “out with the Red Cross” before cops stormed the area and dispersed the crowds. Flags were seen across Ceuta as they marched through the streets Credit: Reuters Enraged locals block Red Cross access to the migrant camps Credit: EPA A day earlier, police fired tear gas to disperse protestors near migrant camps. Beefed up “containment barriers” have been erected by the Civil Guard – but on Thursday another boatload landed on the beach. Dramatic footage shows large groups of migrants jumping from the vessel before scrambling on to the shore in Calblanque Regional Park, near Murcia. Last month, false rumours circulated on social media sparked a mass invasion of Ceuta – with a tide of mostly men swimming across the 8-mile stretch from Morocco to the enclave. More than 140 people died in the attempt, according to officials. Tens of thousands of migrants went back across the border but those who stayed sparked fury. One man was accused of breaking into a woman’s flat and creeping into her bed wearing just his underwear. The intruder was arrested and handed a 16-month prison sentence, which was substituted for deportation and a five-year ban on entering Spain. Others were seen smashing up windows and breaking into buildings before Spain sent in the army to crack down on the chaos. Comment now