Vigilantism

Vigilantism (/vɪdʒɪˈlæntɪzəm/) is the act of preventing, investigating, and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority.^[1]^[2]

"Vigilante" redirects here. For other uses, see Vigilante (disambiguation).

A vigilante is a person who practices or partakes in vigilantism, or undertakes public safety and retributive justice without commission.

it is planned or premeditated

it is carried out by private volunteers

it is a social movement

it involves or threatens the use of force

it occurs when established societal norms are perceived to be threatened

its primary goal is to enforce safety and security, especially to its participants, by combating crime

The term is borrowed from Spanish vigilante, which means 'sentinel' or 'watcher', from Latin vigilāns. According to political scientist Regina Bateson, vigilantism is "the extralegal prevention, investigation, or punishment of offenses."^[1] The definition has three components:

Other scholars have defined "collective vigilantism" as "group violence to punish perceived offenses to a community."^[2]

Les Johnston argues that vigilantism has six necessary components:^[3]

In the early 20th century, the White Finns founded the (Protection Corps) as a paramilitary vigilante organization in Finland. It formed the nucleus of the White Army in the Finnish Civil War.

Suojeluskunta

A number of vigilante organizations were founded in the US around the time of World War I including the , National Security League, Knights of Liberty, and Boy Spies of America, with the goal of targeting those suspected to be pro-German or insufficiently loyal.^[7]^[8]^[9] Violent events by such groups included the Tulsa Outrage, the lynching of Olli Kinkkonen, and a number of other tarring and feathering events such as those in Wisconsin.^[9]

American Protective League

In the 1920s, the of China protected life and property in a state of anarchy.

Big Sword Society

After , many alleged Nazi collaborators were beaten up or killed for their activities by vigilantes.

World War II

In 1954, the Thai formed the Volunteer Defense Corps (also called the Village Scouts; Thai: ลูกเสือชาวบ้าน) to provide law and order and emergency or natural disaster response. In 1974 it was expanded by the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) to urban areas to fight left-wing political activism. The Village Scouts were subsequently involved in the Thammasat University massacre of 1976. Their 21st century Internet censorship vigilance groups are called ลูกเสือบนเครือข่ายอินเทอร์เน็ต or 'Cyber Scouts'.^[10]

Border Patrol Police

During in Northern Ireland (late 1960s–1998), the Provisional Irish Republican Army and Irish National Liberation Army were known to administer punishment beatings and kill any suspected criminal or drug dealer in order to deter crime.

the Troubles

Bateson, Regina. "The politics of vigilantism." Comparative Political Studies 54.6 (2021): 923-955.

online

Tom O'Connor,