Growing up in a war torn country, Barza had no choice but to integrate in one of the many popular militias of the time.

It is stressed that this should occur through the formation of a democratic popular militia rather than through a traditional military hierarchy.

During his military service he witnessed the suppression of the popular militias (created after the 1952 revolution), an event that impacted his political orientation.

The Iron Column resisted the government plan of turning the popular militias into regular army units longer than any other group.

The Legião Nacional was a popular militia similar to the Italian Blackshirts.

When the Second Chechen War started Sadulayev again returned to fighting, commanding the popular militia from Argun.

The YPG considers itself a democratic popular militia and conducts internal elections as a method of appointing officers.

And members of popular militias known as bassijis have begun barging into homes to smash the receivers.

Hard-core Sandinista guerrillas numbered perhaps 2,000 to 3,000; untrained popular militias and foreign supporters added several thousand more to this total.

Most of the remainder were members of the popular militias and others who had played some role in the defeat of Somoza.