One firearm per patrol in Ceuta? This is how the armies of allied countries patrol

The situation created in Ceuta by the Moroccan migratory invasion continues to receive absurd responses from the Spanish government.

¿Policías con armas de fuego en la estación de Cádiz y soldados con porras en Ceuta?
Ceuta y un alarmante indicador sobre la moral de las Fuerzas Armadas de España

After weeks of denouncing that our soldiers are patrolling Ceuta armed only with batons, the government has finally authorized the Army to patrol with firearms, but only one per patrol, as revealed by the president of the Spanish Troops and Seamen Association (ATME), Marco Antonio Gómez, who has described this restriction as "ridiculous".

That decision is outrageous, because it shows that our government trusts Morocco more (yesterday, during his interview on SER, Pedro Sánchez once again praised the invading country while simultaneously criticizing the King of Spain) than our Army, which it doesn't even allow to be properly armed in a situation where it has already been attacked with stones and Molotov cocktails.

Sánchez's distrust of our soldiers contrasts sharply with what happens in allied countries, where it is common to see military personnel patrolling the streets with firearms when the situation demands it. Spain is the exception when it comes to dealing with risky situations. Let's look at some examples.

Soldiers of the Polish Army's 18th Mechanized Division, armed with MSBS Grot assault rifles, guarding the Polish border with Belarus in November 2024 (Source: 18 Dywizja Zmechanizowana).

Two Belgian Army soldiers, each armed with an FN SCAR assault rifle, patrolling Joseph Dupont Street in Brussels, in a photo published in March 2026. Source: Belgian Defence.

French Army Troupes de Marine (TDM) patrolling Paris. Each is armed with a Heckler & Koch HK416F assault rifle. This photo was published on August 1st (Source: French Army).

British Army soldiers patrolling the streets of London, near Buckingham Palace, alongside a civilian police officer. A photo taken in May 2017. Each soldier was armed with an L85A2 assault rifle (Source: Getty Images).

Soldiers of the Korps Mariniers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, each armed with a Colt Canada C7 assault rifle, patrolling the island of Saint Martin after Hurricane Irma in 2017 (Source: defensie.nl).

U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division soldiers patrolling the streets of New Orleans, each armed with M-4 assault rifles, to prevent looting after Hurricane Katrina in May 2006 (Source: dvidshub.net).

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Main photo: Belgian Defence.