Urban guerrilla warfare
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- Urban guerrilla redirects here. For the Hawkwind song, see Urban Guerrilla (song).
Urban guerrilla refers to someone who fights a government or dictatorship using unconventional warfare in an urban environment (see: guerrilla warfare). Many have been on the left-wing of the political spectrum (especially in Latin America), claiming to fight for the "liberation of their people"; more recently, urban guerilla warfare has become common in the Middle East, often waged by Islamist or nationalist forces. The urban guerrilla phenomenon is essentially one of modernity and industrialised society.
Unlike rural guerillas, urban guerrillas have not often been successful at overthrowing a government and taking power. During the 1960s, urban guerrillas such as the Montoneros in Latin America intended to destabilize civilian governments and put into power an oppressive military government which they believed would cause the middle classes to rise up in popular revolt. In many cases they did succeed on overthrowing the civilian government prompting a military government to take control and brutally wipe out the guerillas with general disregard for human rights.
Historical examples include the Weathermen and the Symbionese Liberation Army in the United States, the Red Army Faction in Germany, the Red Brigades in Italy and the Tupamaros in Uruguay. The PLO and Hezbollah in Lebanon, groups such as Hamas in the Palestinian territories, and the insurgent forces in Iraq are other examples. However, not all urban political violence can be labeled as urban guerrilla. The Black Panther Party does not qualify, due to its public nature and pursuit of a policy of self-defence. Similarly the Italian Autonomia movement, and the German Autonomen engaged in urban political violence, but not as urban guerrillas due to their policies of public, mass and non-deadly violence.
At the start of her trial in 1974, when Patty Hearst, involved with the Symbionese Liberation Army, was asked her occupation, she said she was an urban guerrilla.
