Tens of thousands flood streets to protest Spain border crisis

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Spain to protest the government's handling of a mass crossing of migrants into Spain in July. Authorities say 50,000 protesters were on the streets in Madrid alone, furious at Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

The protests were sparked by the ongoing migrant crisis in Spain's North African city of Ceuta, where thousands of migrants surged across the border from neighboring Morocco in late July. The crisis has resulted in the deaths of at least 72 people, with thousands of migrants remaining in Spanish territory.

Ceuta's regional leader, Juan Jesús Vivas, described the situation as a "violation of Spain's territorial integrity" rather than a migratory crisis. Protests turned violent in some areas, with gunshots and explosions reported in the city on Wednesday night.

The demonstrations came days after Ceuta residents tore down and burned makeshift migrant shelters found in their city. Protesters also targeted beachside migrant camps, destroying shelters and setting fires as police attempted to keep protesters and migrants apart.

Prime Minister Sanchez has blamed Russia and Israel for amplifying the migrant crisis via social media, saying the July surge across the border was due to a misinterpretation of a Spanish Supreme Court ruling. However, both countries have denied the allegations, with Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova calling the claims "baseless" and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accusing Sanchez of "lying shamelessly".