Moroccan fishing union to protest Spanish royal visit to Ceuta and Melilla

The National Union of Sea Fishing in Morocco, affiliated with the Moroccan Union of Workers, has announced a protest to be held in front of the Spanish Consulate in Agadir on October 13, 2026. The demonstration is organized in response to the upcoming visit of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to the Spanish autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla on October 13 and 14.

Abdelhalim Seddiqi, General Secretary of the union, stated that the protest aims to defend Morocco’s territorial integrity and national constants. The union plans to deliver an official letter of protest to the Spanish Consul in Agadir and another to the European Union representation in Rabat to explain the political implications of the royal visit regarding the status of Ceuta and Melilla.

This royal visit marks the first time King Felipe VI has visited the two cities since ascending the throne in 2014, and the first Spanish royal visit to the cities since 2007. While Spain considers the cities autonomous Spanish territories, the visit has reignited long-standing sovereignty disputes and political tensions between Rabat and Madrid.