Editing ZOMO

{{Evil_Organization
|Box title = ZOMO
|fullname = Zmotoryzowane Odwody Milicji Obywatelskiej
|alias = "Communist [[Gestapo]]"<br>ZOMO-men
|origin = Poland
|foundation = December 24, 1956
|dissolution = 7 September 1989
|headquarters = Warsaw, Poland
|skills = Special training to fight demonstrations
|goals = Enforce the rule of Communism in Poland (successful until 1989)<br>Enforce martial law (truncated)
|crimes = [[Torture]]<br>Human rights violations<br>Mass [[murder]]
|type of villains = Paramilitary Police
|Image=Oznaka MO na mundur ćwiczebny.png|type of villain=Paramilitary Police}}

The '''ZOMO''' ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_language Polish]: ''Zmotoryzowane Odwody Milicji Obywatelskiej''), known in English as '''Motorized Reserves of the Citizens' Militia''', were [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramilitary paramilitary]-[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police police] formations during the [[Polish United Workers' Party|communist era in Poland]]. These purportedly elite units of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milicja_Obywatelska Citizens' Militia] (MO) were created to fight dangerous criminals, provide security during mass events, and help in the case of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_disaster natural disasters] and other crises; however, they became known instead for their brutal and sometimes lethal actions of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riot_control riot control] and their role in quelling [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_rights civil rights] protests.

The first ZOMO units were deployed in 1956 and became particularly infamous for their ruthless handling of political opponents under [[Military Council of National Salvation|Polish martial law]] (1981–1983). It was permanently disbanded after the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutions_of_1989 fall of communism] in 1989, though the term "ZOMO" remains synonymous with [[police brutality]] to this day. They are considered to be a [[death squad]].
==History==
ZOMO units were created on December 24, 1956 under the direct command of the President of the Council of Ministers of the Polish People's Republic and first used in 1957. Their mission statement was defined as "the protection of the nation", and their main role was as a rapid-response police force, structured after and trained by the instructors from the ''Schutzpolizei'' of East Germany.

From 1972, the duties of ZOMO included counter-terrorism (including countering aircraft hijackings), with the elite Special Platoons of the ZOMO (pl. Plutony Specjalne ZOMO) created in 1978. As opposition to the communist government in Poland grew, the units were expanded to counter the growing unrest, and their role became more of anti-riot police. 

In 1968, ZOMO was used to disperse the student protests during the 1968 Polish political crisis, leading to the reform of the formation. Two years later in 1970, thousands of troops from the Polish People's Army and ZOMO were used to quell the Polish 1970 protests, killing dozens of people and injuring more than 1,000.

The ZOMO gained the most of their infamy during the period of martial law in Poland (1981–1983). During this time period their brutal actions against peaceful protesters often affiliated with the oppositionist Solidarity movement, and the subsequent lack of prosecution of those responsible for deaths of protesters, were major factors in bringing down the communist regime. Since 1990 several trials against former ZOMO members and their political leaders took place, most prominently in the case of the massacre in the Wujek Coal Mine (where nine people were killed and 21 wounded when Katowice's Special Platoon opened fire on the striking miners in 1981 in the bloodiest incident of the martial law era).

The ZOMO's last action took place on July 3, 1989, when they dispersed a demonstration against the presidential candidature of General [[Wojciech Jaruzelski]], former First Secretary and head of the Military Council of National Salvation (WRON). The units were disbanded on September 7, 1989, following the fall of the communist regime, and replaced with the OPP (riot control) and SPAP (rapid response and counter-terrorism) units of Policja (the Polish police).

[[Category:Modern Villains]]
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