Najib Addadi is calling for a nationwide protest in Fnideq on October 14, during King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia’s visit to Ceuta and Melilla. In a message posted on X, Addadi calls the two Spanish-held cities "Moroccan cities under occupation" and urges a peaceful, law-abiding demonstration just a few kilometers from the border.
Addadi is asking people from across Morocco to join, describing the protest as a "civic, peaceful and responsible" stand for Morocco’s territorial claims. He hopes it will become a "national date" and draw attention beyond Morocco.
The protest is set for 10:00 a.m. in Fnideq, known in Spain as Castillejos, matching the Spanish royals’ schedule. Addadi says Moroccan civil society groups should organize and lead the demonstration, and stresses the need to keep it legal and orderly. Moroccan authorities have not officially backed the event.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will visit Ceuta on October 13 and Melilla on October 14. It will be their first official trip to both cities since Felipe VI became king in 2014. The visit recalls the 2007 trip by Juan Carlos I and Sofía, which led to a diplomatic standoff with Rabat: Morocco withdrew its ambassador from Madrid for more than two months, while protests and criticism erupted across Morocco.
This time, the Spanish Royal Household and government have coordinated the visit, but Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will not join the monarchs. The full schedule remains under wraps. EFE and other Spanish media have reported that Morocco has not issued an official comment on the royal visit. Past visits by Spanish monarchs to Ceuta and Melilla have also brought heightened tensions and public demonstrations in Morocco amid the ongoing sovereignty dispute.
Addadi’s call puts Ceuta and Melilla at the center of Morocco’s territorial claims and seeks to rally national feeling and civil society around the long-running dispute. The planned peaceful, organized protest aims to draw international attention and promote unity at home. The border remains tense.
