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BeforeThe American militia movement represents one of the earliest examples of digital political organizing, transitioning from 1990s bulletin boards and early websites to sophisticated social media operations spanning multiple platforms. ## Movement Evolution **1994-1999: Formation and Early Internet Presence** Following events at Ruby Ridge (1992), Waco (1995), and the Oklahoma City bombing (1995), militia groups formed across all 50 states with membership estimated between 20,000-60,000 at peak. Groups initially organized through bulletin board systems, early websites, and phone networks, …
AfterThe militia movement comprises armed private groups organized around opposition to federal authority. It ranges from local organizations whose activity is field training to national networks with chapter structures. Cooter's fieldwork-based study is the standard sociological account and distinguishes between these considerably different things, which most summaries do not. ## January 6 and the criminal record The movement's clearest documentary record is the prosecution record from January 6, 2021. The House Select Committee's final report documents that the Department of Justice charged a …