| La Forja - Jovent Revolucionari The Forge - Revolutionary Youth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Spokesperson | Judit Costa |
| Founded | 4 January 2018 (2018-01-04) |
| Headquarters | C/ Elisi, 20,Barcelona |
| Ideology | Catalan independence Marxism Socialism Feminism Ecologism[1] |
| Mother party | Poble Lliure Popular Unity Candidacy |
| Website | www.laforja.cat |
La Forja - Jovent Revolucionari (The Forge - Revolutionary Youth) is aleft-wingCatalan independence youth organization that is active in all theCatalan Countries. La Forja is part of thePopular Unity Candidacy–Constituent Call (CUP-CC)[2] coalition and has very close ties with the political partyPoble Lliure.[3]
Before 2012, the left-wing Catalan independence movement had two youth organizations:Maulets-JIR and CAJEI. The first was founded in 1999 through the union of Maulets (the youth wing ofCatalunya Lliure) and the Catalan Revolutionary Youth (JIR, youth ofPeople's Unity Assembly). The second group was created in 2002 by members ofEndavant. Both organizations merged in 2012 creatingArran.[4] Soon after the merge, some ex-members ofMaulets-JIR (especially those close to theMovement for Defence of the Land), started to consider that the leadership of the new organization was following the political line of CAJEI. These ex-members ofMaulets-JIR became involved in the creation of the youth of theCatalan National Assembly (ANC), the National Assembly of Pro-Independence Youth (ANJI). Due to this, they were threatened with expulsion fromArran.[5]
In 2014, groups of ex-Maulets created, along with other youth organizations, the Estudiants 9N movement, which organized astudent strike to support theunofficial self-determination referendum. During the referendum campaign, some local chapters ofArran (Arbúcies, for example) made posters promoting a 'Yes' vote; the leadership ofArran ordered that these posters be withdrawn. At the national assembly of that year, most members ofArran voted to expel those who had participated in theANC. Their objection stems from the ANC's stance to fight only for the independence ofCatalonia and not all of theCatalan Countries. The vote was not valid[clarification needed] because it did not reach the 70% of necessary quorum.[6]
This vote caused a split inArran, with various local groups leaving the organization, includingAlt Maresme,València,Castelló de la Plana,Badalona,Cerdanyola del Vallès andGirona[7]
On 28 December 2015, the Assemblies of theAlt Empordà,Alt Maresme,Badalona,Berguedà,Cerdanyola del Vallès,Mataró andSants celebrated the Founding Congress of the Youth Assemblies for Popular Unity (AJUP) in the town ofCelrà.[8] The political declaration of AJUP declared theCatalan Countries independentism,Marxist socialism,feminism andecologism as the main ideological lines of the organization. AJUP also considered theCUP as its "political reference".[9]
In the second National Congress of AJUP, held on 3 and 4 February 2018 inCanet de Mar, the organization was refounded as La Forja - Jovent Revolucionari. At the time of the foundation they were present in thecomarques ofAlt Empordà,Barcelonès,Gironès,Maresme,Segarra,Tarragonès,Vallès Occidental andTerres de l'Ebre.[10] La Forja is part ofPopular Unity Candidacy–Constituent Call, Platform for the Right to Decide of the Valencian Country and the youth of theCatalan National Assembly. La Forja is also very close toPoble Lliure and theIntersindical-CSC trade union.[11]
On 10 April 2018, two members of La Forja were arrested by theMossos d'Esquadra in an operation against theCDRs, both being released the next day.[12] Another 3 members of the organization are being investigated, accused of "damages and coercion", by theSpanish Justice since October 2018.[13] La Forja has denounced these cases as part of arepressive strategy against theCatalan independence movement.[14][15][16]