ZOMO

Zmotoryzowane Odwody Milicji Obywatelskiej (ZOMO) (Motorized Reserves of the Citizens Militia), were paramilitary riot police formations during the Communist Era, in People's Republic of Poland. These elite units of Milicja (Polish Police) provided security during "large" events, but are most notably known for their bloody actions in quelling civil rights protests and riots during the martial law in 1980s.

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ZOMO units were created and first used in 1956, under the direct command of the President of the Council of Ministers of the Communist Party in Poland. Their mission statement was defined as "the protection of the nation," and their main role was as a rapid-response police force similar to the SWAT teams in the US. 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.

Paramilitary: A paramilitary organization is a group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion....

Riot police: REDIRECT Riot control...

People's Republic of Poland: The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic (Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1989, during its period of rule by the Communist party, officially called the Polish United Workers' Party (Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, or PZ...