Tomorrow's rally banned: open political warfare

The banned rally over Ceuta ignites political warfare

The rally scheduled for tomorrow in connection with Ceuta has been banned. Far from settling the matter, the decision has accelerated a clash between two incompatible readings: those who see it as a public order decision and those who interpret it as a restriction on the right to protest.

The case for the ban: a protest against the government, not about immigration

Some defend the ban with a rather undiplomatic argument: the demonstration was not really about Ceuta. Many of those planning to attend intended to voice their rejection of Pedro Sánchez, turning the migration drama into an excuse for a protest against the government. If the migrants' situation was not the focus, there was no constructive spirit, only an attempt to bring the government down. Under that reading, the ban would be a matter of consistency.

The critical reading: censorship and an authoritarian trap

The other camp pulls no punches: it speaks of a "de facto dictatorship" and an authoritarian drift in banning demonstrations against the government. It also points out that the government might actually want unrest to occur, so it can present itself as the guarantor of order and discredit the opposition. In that logic, the ban is not protection but a trap.

Meanwhile, amid the controversy, a quote attributed to Pedro Sánchez is making the rounds: migrants are needed as labour for an economy growing at four times the eurozone rate. The contrast between the public debate and that defence of immigration as an economic asset only widens the divide.

The uncomfortable question remains on the table: is the rally banned because it is dangerous or because it is inconvenient? The available data do not settle it. What is clear is that the cancellation, if confirmed, will not end the standoff.