The recent arrest of 13 men, some accused of plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan and planning to start a civil war, has drawn new attention to the threat posed by right-wing militias in the United States. Heavily armed militia members have shown up on the steps of the state capitol to protest the governor’s coronavirus restrictions. And some have also taken to the streets in cities across the U.S. this summer in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. All of this is generating attention from the international media. Here’s part of a report by Britain’s ITV News filed from Louisville, Kentucky.

To Discuss:

• Mark Potok is a former Senior Fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center
• Muhammad Fraser-Rahim is executive director of  North America for Quilliam International.
• Colin Clarke is a Senior Research fellow at the Soufan Center
• Mary C. Curtis is a columnist for “Roll Call’ and host of the “Equal Time” podcast.

For More:

The arrest of 13 men in a plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan and "instigate a civil war" places a fresh spotlight on the growth of armed, right-wing extremist "militias" under the administration of President Donald Trump https://t.co/OEfSKCeQCB pic.twitter.com/epuuaNJslF

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 10, 2020

"Private armed militias find no support in the U.S. or state constitutions or in American history. They must not be tolerated in our society," writes Mary B. McCord. https://t.co/WJH4Sznzgd

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) October 9, 2020

A plot against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that ended in 13 arrests signals broader risks in the U.S. https://t.co/SD45eCy2tj

— The Christian Science Monitor (@csmonitor) October 16, 2020

What is the line between protected activity for U.S. citizens and terrorism? https://t.co/SD45eCy2tj

— The Christian Science Monitor (@csmonitor) October 15, 2020