Militia movement
The militia movement is a right-wing extremist movement consisting primarily of armed paramilitary groups possessing an anti-government, conspiracy-oriented ideology. The movement was originally formed in 1993-1994 in reaction to federal gun control measures and to deadly standoffs between civilians and federal agents. Militia supporters traditionally believe that the federal government is collaborating with a shadowy conspiracy (often referred to as the "New World Order") to strip Americans of their rights in order to ultimately enslave them. The movement has a long history of criminal activity, including murders, violent plots, armed standoffs, terroristic threats and illegal possession of weapons or explosives. The militia movement experienced two major surges in growth, one in the mid-1990s and another during the period 2008-2011. It has also experienced growth in the 2020s, although this has been hindered to some degree due to deplatforming from several social media platforms.