| Milícia Catalana | |
|---|---|
 Estelada used by the Milícia Catalana and theCatalan Patriotic Movement | |
| Also known as | MC[1] |
| Leader | Juan Carlos Criado Guasch[2] Carlos Franciosud Araguas[3][4] |
| Foundation | 24 August 1985[5] |
| Dates of operation |
|
| Motives | Defense of theCatholic religion and theunity of Spain.[6] |
| Newspaper | Combat(1990–1991) |
| Active regions | Catalonia,Spain |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-right[7] |
| Status | Inactive |
| Part of | Catalan Patriotic Movement |
| Opponents |  TLL ETA GRAPO |
Milícia Catalana (Spanish:Milicia Catalana,lit. 'Catalan Militia';MC)[8] was aSpanish nationalist andCatholic armed group that operated between 1986 and the mid 90s inCatalonia,Spain. Founded on 24 August 1985,[5] the group was formed by Catholic priests affiliated with the Parroquia de San Félix Africano, who espoused theintegralist teachings ofMarcel Lefebvre, alongside notable figures from theHermandad Sacerdotal Española.[8] The emergence of this group is due to the parallel emergence inSpain of otherviolent right-wing groups that attacked the democratic opposition and the growingindependentist and/orsocialist movements. The political wing of Milícia Catalana was theCatalan Patriotic Movement (MPC).
The main targets of the group were Catalan independence-related associations andindependentist organizations, such as theMoviment de Defensa de la Terra, the most prominent extra-parliamentary political expression of theindependence movement, andTerra Lliure, afar-left terrorist organization;[9] but Milícia Catalana also attacked clinics whereabortions were practiced (in 1989, the Dexeus Clinic's façade was damaged by an explosion attributed to the organisation.[10]),LGBT locals andbrothels.[11] Similarly, they sent threats and intimidated collectives of the alternative left and those who satirizedCatholicism, likeEls Joglars, a popular theater company. One of its most famous attacks was its fire near theSanctuary of Montserrat in August 1986, burning 2,000 hectares, 75% of the mountain area, and leaving 1,000 people isolated in the sanctuary for a day.[12] The group was also opposed to otherfar-left non-Catalan armed groups, such asETA andGRAPO.[13]
The group had relations with theSpanish police, denouncingpro-independence groups amid a phenomenon ofcollusion with thepolice and theGuardia Civil.[14] This was confirmed by the death of a policeman, and Milícia Catalana militant, while planting an explosive in 1989.[15] That the police gave Milícia Catalana information about the independentist movement[16] was confirmed by Juan Carlos Criado Guasch, one of the founders of the group, in 1989.[2]
The ideology ofMilícia Catalana was deeply rooted inCatholic integralism andSpanish unionism,[17] drawing significant inspiration fromMarcel Lefebvre's teachings.[18][8] Their official stance was published on theirManifiesto Social (1989), where they outlined their objectives and unwavering commitment to their cause.[19] Within this manifesto, the group expressed opposition tobourgeois nationalism,separatism, the1978 constitution and what they perceived as "amoralist, secularizing, and foreignizing currents".[20]
Their actions were strategically directed towards supporting an "armed struggle",[21] primarily targetingCatalan nationalist and separatist organizations, as well asbookstores associated with these movements.[22] Additionally, they singled out entities or individuals whom they saw as challenging or diverging from the established moral standards upheld by Catholic doctrine.[22] This led them to focus their activities on venues promotingCatalan nationalism, such as independentist gatherings, along with establishments likesex shops,gay bars andsaunas, andabortion clinics, which they vehemently opposed on moral grounds.[23][24]
