Popular justice: punishment meted out by the community in Spain, 1895-1923

The article analyses the numerous attempts at popular lynching that took place in Restoration Spain. The main objective is to clarify the causes, rationale and historical processes behind this phenomenon of collective violence. To do so, we study the social behaviour that aroused this type of popular reaction, the social practices, cultural meanings and political uses that were manifested in these expressions of violence and their relationship with the political structures and processes of the State. Once considered outbursts of anger and revenge typical of a backward society, these forms of violence reveal the intent to punish an infraction that exceeded the limits of what is tolerated by the community, its own ways of understanding justice and a shared concern to maintain rules of conduct that preserve certain types of coexistence and integrity among the population. These actions in turn uncover other punishment practices used in society that are very different from the liberal procedures that might persist within or be fed by a context of distrust and discredit of public representatives and State institutions. The investigation is based on an exploration of the national and provincial press, as well as government, judicial and bibliographical sources.