ORMO

The Volunteer Reserve of the Citizens' Militia (Polish: Ochotnicza Rezerwa Milicji Obywatelskiej; ORMO) was a paramilitary reserve organization of the Citizen's Militia (MO), the police force of the Polish People's Republic. ORMO was created in 1946 to help establish communist rule in Poland in the aftermath of World War II. It had approximately 400,000–450,000 people in its reserves (at one time numbered as many as 600,000 civilian volunteers), recruited mostly from the ruling Polish United Workers' Party, a large share of members of the United People's Party and Democratic Party, farmers and workers with communist sympathies, and other non-party opportunists. ORMO was often involved in political repression in Poland, including the unlawful arrest and beatings of peaceful protesters, such as during the public demonstrations organized by Solidarity which opposed the communist government. ORMO was disbanded by the Sejm in 1989 during the collapse of the communism in Poland.