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The Three Percenters[a] is a decentralized, far-right, anti-government movement in the United States.[2][3] It was formed as a reaction to the election of U.S. president Barack Obama during a time of overall growth in the American militia movement from 2008 to 2009.[1][3] The name "Three Percenter" derives from an inaccurate claim that only three percent of American colonists fought against the British during the American Revolution.[4][5][6]

The Three Percenter movement shares the general ideology of the American militia and patriot movements,[1][6] including promotion of gun ownership rights and resistance to the U.S. federal government.[5][7][8] Many members also belong to other anti-government groups including the Oath Keepers.[1] In more recent years, the movement has broadened to oppose immigrants, Muslims, and left-wing activists such as Antifa.[9][6]

The group is based in the U.S. and also has a presence in Canada.[8] Many different individuals and groups have identified themselves as "Three Percenters". Despite the lack of formal leadership, Canada has labeled Three Percenters as a terrorist entity.[10] Members of the Three Percenter movement participated in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.[5][11] In 2021, six men associated with the group were charged with conspiracy in connection to the attack on the Capitol.[12]

Founding and membership

[edit]

The idea for the Three Percenters movement came from gun rights advocate Mike Vanderboegh on a blog called the Sipsey Street Irregulars between 2008 and 2009.[3] Vanderboegh was a member of the Oath Keepers, a group with whom the Three Percenters remain loosely aligned.[13][14] According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Vanderboegh claimed to be commander of an Alabama militia group, the First Alabama Cavalry Regiment, though he appeared to be its sole member.[15] Vanderboegh claimed to have formerly been a member of Students for a Democratic Society and the Socialist Workers Party who abandoned left-wing politics in 1977 after being introduced to libertarianism.[16]

Vanderboegh said that reading Friedrich Hayek's book The Road to Serfdom pushed him to the right. He became a Second Amendment activist and by the 1990s was involved with the militia movement.[17] After the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, Vanderboegh became better known for popularizing anti-government conspiracy theories.[6] He self-published a novel titled Absolved online in 2008, calling it "a cautionary tale for the out-of-control gun cops of the ATF".[18][19] Vanderboegh received national media attention in 2011, when four suspected militia members in Georgia were arrested for a plan for a biological attack supposedly inspired by his novel Absolved.[18][19] He denied responsibility from the alleged plot.[20] Vanderboegh died on August 10, 2016.[21]

The Three Percenters movement was a reaction to the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States.[1][8][22] Members believed that Obama's presidency would lead to increased government interference in the lives of individuals, and particularly stricter gun control laws.[1] The group's Facebook page mostly features posts supporting gun rights.[23]

A popular symbol of the group is the "Nyberg flag", named for its designer Gayle Nyberg. It is a modified Betsy Ross flag with the Roman numeral "III" displayed within the circle of 13 stars. Members will also add "III" to their social media profiles.[3]

Some members belong to law enforcement organizations[24] and the military, as well as anti-government groups such as the Oath Keepers.[1] As of 2019, the national Three Percenters organization employed a hierarchical command structure, including requiring members to take an oath similar to that of the U.S. armed forces. Members also active in the armed forces were asked to swear an additional oath promising to disobey certain official orders, including a refusal to disarm U.S. citizens. Members of the national organization have also been required to vote in elections to oppose laws the group sees as unconstitutional.[2]

Ideology

[edit]

Political Research Associates characterizes Three Percenters as a paramilitary group within the broader patriot movement.[25] According to the ADL, Three Percenters constitute a significant part of the broader anti-government militia movement, whose ideology they share.[6] Both the ADL and the Southern Poverty Law Center have designated Three Percenters as a hate group.[2] Three Percenters believe that individual patriots must be prepared to violently resist the U.S. federal government,[5] which they characterize as overstepping its Constitutional limits.[1][3] Its stated goals include protecting the right to keep and bear arms, and to "push back against tyranny".[8]

According to its website, one national Three Percenters group opposes federal involvement in what they consider local affairs and states in its bylaws that county sheriffs are "the supreme law of the land".[2] The website states that the group it is "not a militia" and "not anti-government".[2][23] The website claims that the Three Percenters are a "national organization made up of patriotic citizens who love their country, their freedoms, and their liberty."[26][21] The group encompasses nativist and Christian fundamentalist elements involved in planning bomb attacks,[27] as well as opposition to immigrants, Muslims, and left-wing activists such as Antifa.[9][6] Author Malcolm Nance has described the movement as right-libertarian.[28]

Like other American militia movements, Three Percenters believe in the ability of citizen volunteers with ordinary weapons to successfully resist the United States military. They support this belief by claiming that only around 3% of American colonists fought the British during the American Revolution, a claim which underestimates the number of people who resisted British rule,[7][4][29] and which does not take into account the concentration of British forces in coastal cities, the similarity of weapons used by American and British forces, and French support for the colonists.[7]

The group's website states that it does not discriminate against anyone; however, in response to Black Lives Matter protests following the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the Three Percenters' Facebook page featured numerous racist comments made by its supporters.[2]

Organization and activities

[edit]
A protester wears a Three Percenter flag during the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.

Over time, different national and regional Three Percenter umbrella organisations have formed and disbanded, often coexisting while remaining largely independent from one another.[5] While hierarchical at a local level, nationally they operate as a decentralized system of networks or cells.[30]

Chapters engage in paramilitary activities and attend counter-protests opposing left wing activism. Members often attend anti-government protests in tactical gear, such as the armed standoff between Cliven Bundy and the federal government in 2014. Three Percenters have joined vigilante patrols along the U.S.–Mexico border and have provided security for pro–Donald Trump and white-supremacist rallies, including the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia; the group later sought to distance itself from the white supremacist movement.[24]

The group's members have a record of involvement in criminal activity,[6] and some have been associated with acts of violence as well as violent threats.[13] According to the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, individuals associated with the Three Percenters have "used or planned to use firearms and explosives in plots targeting law enforcement officers, private businesses, an abortion clinic, a mosque, and housing complexes inhabited by immigrants".[5]

In 2013, Christian Allen Kerodin and associates were working on the construction of a walled compound in Benewah County, Idaho, "for Three Percenters", designed to house 7,000 people following a major disaster, an initiative which local law enforcement has described as a "scam".[31]

In April 2013, a group of Jersey City, New Jersey, police officers were disciplined for wearing patches reading "One of the 3%".[32][33]

Following the 2015 Chattanooga shootings at a strip mall, a military recruitment center and a United States Navy Operational Support Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Three Percenters, Oath Keepers, and other militia groups began organizing armed gatherings outside of recruiting centers in several states, with the stated objective of protecting service members, who were barred from carrying weapons while on duty in civilian recruitment centers.[34] In response, the Army Command Operations Center Security Division issued a letter ordering soldiers not to interact with or acknowledge armed civilians outside of recruitment centers, and that "If questioned by these alleged concerned citizens, be polite, professional and terminate the conversation immediately and report the incident to local law enforcement", noting that the issuing officer is "sure the citizens mean well, but we cannot assume this in every case and we do not want to advocate this behavior".[34]

An Idaho Three Percenter group protested refugee resettlement in that state in 2015.[23] In 2016, the "3 Percenters of Idaho" group announced it was sending some of its members in support of the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, allegedly in order to "secure the perimeter" and to prevent a "Waco-style situation".[35] They left several hours later after being told their assistance was not needed.[36] Two days previously, Three Percenters founder Mike Vanderboegh had described the occupiers as "a collection of fruits and nuts".[37] "What Bundy and this collection of fruits and nuts has done is give the feds the perfect opportunity to advance their agenda to discredit us", he said.[37]

The group provided security for a 2017 event held by Patriot Prayer called "Rally for Trump and Freedom".[38][39] Several Three Percenters were also present at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017, along with members of the Redneck Revolt, a left-leaning militia group.[40][41] After the events at Charlottesville, the group's "National Council" issued a "stand down order", stating, "we will not align ourselves with any type of racist group".[23][40] The group issued a statement saying they "strongly reject and denounce anyone who calls themselves a patriot or a Three Percenter that has attended or is planning on attending any type of protest or counter protest related to these white supremacist and Nazi groups".[23][42]

In 2017, a 23-year-old Oklahoma man, Jerry Drake Varnell, was arrested on federal charges of plotting a vehicle bomb attack on a bank in downtown Oklahoma City, modeled after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.[43] During a meeting in 2017 with undercover FBI agents, Varnell identified with the Three Percenters movement, saying that he subscribed to "III% ideology" and intended "to start the next revolution."[22] In March 2020, Varnell was found guilty of conspiracy to use an explosive device to damage a building used in interstate commerce and planning to use a weapon of mass destruction against property used in interstate commerce. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.[44][45]

In 2018, three men were arrested in connection with the bombing of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. The bombing was non-lethal. One of the men involved, former sheriff's deputy Michael B. Hari, had connections to the III%s.[46]

In June 2019, Oregon Governor Kate Brown sent the Oregon State Police to bring 11 absent Republican state senators back to the Oregon State Capitol. The Republican state senators had gone into hiding to prevent a vote on a cap-and-trade proposal to lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to combat climate change. The Three Percenters offered support for the Republican senators, declaring they would be "doing whatever it takes to keep these senators safe".[47][48][49] On June 22, 2019, a session of the Oregon Senate was cancelled when the Oregon State Capitol was closed due to a warning from the state police of a "possible militia threat".[47][48][49][50]

In May 2020, during a Second Amendment rally on Memorial Day weekend in Frankfort, Kentucky, Three Percenters and other protesters breached several off-limit barriers to access the front porch of the Governor's Mansion, Governor Andy Beshear's primary residence, and began heckling the Mansion's occupants in response to the Governor's restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Soon afterward, members of the group moved several hundred yards away. They hung an effigy bearing the Governor's face and a sign reading sic semper tyrannis ("thus always to tyrants") from a tree.[51][52] The event drew condemnation from Beshear and from across the political spectrum.[53][54][55] Some state officials had joined the Three Percenters at earlier events, including Kentucky State Representatives Savannah Maddox and Stan Lee, and Kentucky State Senator John Schickel.[56][57] Beshear labeled the group as "radical", that their actions were "aimed at creating fear and terror", and declared that officials who appeared at previous Three Percenter events "cannot fan the flames and then condemn the fire."[58]

Three Percenters Barry Croft and Adam Fox took part in a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.[59] Michael Jung, a prominent Three Percenter in Wisconsin, offered a location for members to train, he claims to be the second-in-command of the Wisconsin branch.[60][61]

Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert has close ties to the group.[62]

Participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack

[edit]
For broader coverage of the event, see January 6 United States Capitol attack.
January 6 United
States Capitol attack
Timeline • Planning
Background
2020 presidential election
and other causes
Related groups and persons
Participants
Notable people
Organizations
Law enforcement response
Aftermath
Biden inauguration
Investigations and charges
Corporate actions
Reactions
Impeachment and 2024 presidential election

Supporters of the Three Percenters were present and wore emblematic gear or symbols during the protests and storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Other groups attending included the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.[11][63][64] After breaking through police lines or being let through multiple police perimeters, these groups occupied, vandalized,[65][66] breached the Capitol Building and ransacked it for several hours.[67]

At least one man tied to the Three Percenter movement was arrested and charged with involvement of the attack; the man was also reportedly tied to two other extremist groups, the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.[68][69] At the time of the January 6 protests, a truck owned by Illinois State Rep. Chris Miller (the husband of U.S. Representative Mary Miller) was in a restricted area next to the Capitol and bore a Three Percenters decal logo.[70][71] On March 18, 2021, the Illinois House voted to censure Miller for attending the January 6 "Save America" rally that preceded the insurrection at the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.[72]

Multiple factions of the Three Percenters were also involved in the attack, including 'DC Brigade', 'Patriot Boys of North Texas',[73] and 'B Squad'. The B Squad and DC Brigade conspired with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.[63] Three Percenters' participation in the attack prompted one of the remaining national groups to dissolve, stating in a final message that other Three Percenter groups' actions had cast the movement in a "negative light".[5]

Indictments and sentences

[edit]
See also: Pardon of January 6 United States Capitol attack defendants

Guy Reffitt, a member of the Three Percenters from Wylie, Texas, was present at the January 6 United States Capitol attack wearing body armor and carrying a handgun and plastic handcuffs on the Capitol grounds with the intent to remove House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell from the premises.[74] He was referred to as the guy that "lit the match" and helped to ignite the crowd into an "unstoppable force". He was found guilty of five charges and was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.[75][76]

In June 2021, six men who identified as members of the Three Percenters were indicted by a grand jury for "conspiring to obstruct congressional proceedings." The indictment alleges that they coordinated travel to Washington, D.C., with intent for disruption; some were wearing body armor and tactical gear, and at least one carried a knife. They alleged they were acting as security for principals such as Trump friend and advisor Roger Stone.[77][78][79] All have pled not guilty.[80][79] They are:

  1. Alan Hostetter of San Clemente, California, former police Chief of La Habra and yoga instructor, was accused of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. Hostetter was sentenced to 135 months in prison.[81]
  2. Erik Scott Warner of Menifee, California, is charged with federal offenses that include conspiracy, obstructing an official proceeding, and unlawful entry on restricted buildings or grounds.
  3. Felipe Antonio "Tony" Martinez of Lake Elsinore, California, is charged with federal offenses, including conspiracy, obstructing an official proceeding, and unlawful entry on restricted buildings or grounds.
  4. Derek Kinnison of Lake Elsinore, California, is charged with federal offenses, including conspiracy, obstructing an official proceeding, unlawful entry on restricted buildings or grounds, and tampering with documents or proceedings.
  5. Ronald Mele of Temecula, California, is charged with federal offenses, including conspiracy, obstructing an official proceeding, and unlawful entry on restricted buildings or grounds.
  6. Russell Taylor of Ladera Ranch is charged with federal offenses, including conspiracy, obstructing an official proceeding, and unlawful entry on restricted buildings or grounds. He is also charged with obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder and unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon on Capitol grounds.[79]

In Canada

[edit]

On June 25, 2021, the group was added to the Canadian Criminal Code's list of terrorist entities to prevent them from accessing financial support.[12][82][83][10] One Canadian expert, Maxime Fiset, a former neo-Nazi who works with the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence, considers the group the "most dangerous" extremist group in the country. Hate crime expert Barbara Perry said that Islamophobia was the main focus of the Canadian chapters, urged that police investigate the group, and called the group "scary".[8]

See also

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Notes

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References

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Further reading

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Three Percenters

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The Three Percenters is a decentralized network of American patriots organized to safeguard constitutional liberties, particularly the right to bear arms, against federal overreach and tyranny, symbolized by the III% emblem representing the minority of colonists who reportedly took up arms in the Revolutionary War. Founded in late 2008 by Mike Vanderboegh, a Second Amendment advocate and former militia participant, the movement emerged during a surge in anti-government sentiment following Barack Obama's election and proposed gun control policies, with Vanderboegh popularizing the concept via his Sipsey Street Irregulars blog. Adherents pledge to embody three core tenets—moral strength, physical readiness, and no initiation of force—while rejecting racism and affirming loyalty to a constitutional republic governed by rule of law, though the group's loose structure has led to varied local chapters and internal schisms. The organization has participated in high-profile events, including armed standoffs like the 2014 Bundy ranch dispute and security operations at protests, earning designations as a domestic extremist threat by entities such as the Canadian government, while members decry such labels as products of ideologically skewed monitoring by groups with documented left-wing biases that conflate constitutionalism with militancy.

Origins and Historical Context

The Three Percent Myth and Inspirational Roots

The "three percent" claim posits that only 3% of American colonists actively fought in the Revolutionary War (1775–1783), a figure derived from undercounting total enlistments relative to the era's population of approximately 2.5 million. This equates to roughly 75,000 armed participants, but empirical data from military records refute it: over 231,000 men served in the Continental Army through formal enlistments, with contributions—often short-term and localized—adding tens of thousands more unique individuals annually, yielding participation rates of 15–25% among eligible adult males when adjusted for overlaps and irregular service. The narrative emerged from 18th-century accounts emphasizing elite or full-time Continental forces, such as pension applications and muster rolls that captured only sustained service, while marginalizing militia musters documented in state archives. By the , it gained traction in libertarian writings and discourse, reframed as motivational symbolism rather than precise ; for instance, selective tallies of around total servicemembers ignored broader evidenced by county-level levies and supply requisitions. As inspirational roots for modern patriot movements, the myth underscores a minority's capacity to initiate resistance against superior numbers, echoing events like the April 19, 1775, engagements at Lexington and Concord, where roughly 400 confronted 700 British regulars, catalyzing wider colonial involvement through demonstrated resolve. This portrayal prioritizes causal sequences of individual initiative over mass consensus, highlighting how small, armed groups disrupted imperial control via guerrilla tactics and supply interdictions, as corroborated by British after-action reports and correspondence.

Founding by Mike Vanderboegh in 2008-2009

Mike Vanderboegh, an Alabama-based militia organizer and blogger, first articulated the Three Percenters concept in late 2008 through posts on his Sipsey Street Irregulars blog, amid widespread concerns within gun rights circles over the election of and potential federal encroachments on Second Amendment rights. The November and December 2008 entries framed the idea as a symbolic commitment by a small minority of Americans—estimated at three percent of gun owners—to resist perceived tyranny, drawing on a disputed historical claim that only three percent of colonists actively fought in the Revolutionary War. This launch coincided with heightened fears of gun confiscation and economic policies under the incoming administration, which Vanderboegh and similar activists viewed as precursors to authoritarian overreach. In a December 11, , blog post titled "Three Percenters in History: 'To Die Game,'" Vanderboegh invoked the 19th-century Lowry Band—a multiracial guerrilla group of Indians and Black allies in —as an exemplar of determined, non-sectarian resistance against post-Reconstruction oppression and Klan violence, emphasizing resolve with the phrase "to die game" rather than surrender. This historical analogy underscored an early intent to position the Three Percenters as defenders of constitutional open to all patriots, irrespective of race, distinguishing it from contemporaneous groups often tainted by explicit supremacist elements. Vanderboegh, who had been active in circles since the , used the to rally like-minded individuals around a pledge of armed vigilance without initiating violence. The concept rapidly disseminated as a loose, decentralized network via online forums and early interactions at gun shows, attracting gun owners who self-identified as "III%" without formal membership requirements or hierarchical command. Vanderboegh advocated for local, autonomous chapters focused on and community defense, eschewing national leadership to avoid infiltration or co-optation. Following his death from cancer on , , at age 64, the movement's leaderless structure—intentional from —facilitated further diffusion into independent cells, perpetuating its emphasis on individual oaths over centralized control.

Ideology and Core Principles

Constitutionalism and Anti-Tyranny Stance

The Three Percenters adhere to an originalist reading of the U.S. Constitution, interpreting it as establishing a limited federal government bound by enumerated powers, federalism, and protections for natural rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Their official principles affirm a commitment to the republic "as envisioned by the Founding Fathers," rejecting any expansion of authority that deviates from this framework and emphasizing the Constitution and Bill of Rights as inviolable constraints on state power. This stance privileges the document's fixed textual meaning over evolving interpretations, positing that deviations enable unchecked overreach by prioritizing empirical adherence to original intent rather than adaptive judicial doctrines. Resistance to tyranny forms the core of their philosophy, with tyranny operationalized as systematic violations of constitutional limits, including encroachments on individual liberties and the erosion of state interposition against federal excess. They invoke historical precedents such as the 1993 and 1992 Ruby Ridge incident—events involving deadly federal law enforcement actions against civilians—as empirical examples of tyrannical abuse stemming from unaccountable centralized authority. Founder Mike Vanderboegh, in his writings, warned against repeating such "free Wacos," framing them as catalysts for organized defiance to restore constitutional fidelity. In response, the group endorses nullification and armed as legitimate tools for states and citizens to invalidate unconstitutional mandates, drawing on traditions of to counter perceived erosions without endorsing wholesale rejection of governance. Distinct from , which seeks the abolition of structured , Three Percenters affirm support for government legitimacy when confined to constitutional parameters, including the sworn oaths of and police to defend the document against domestic enemies. Members self-identify through pledges to protect these bounds, positioning themselves as guardians who prioritize oath-keeping and lawful resistance over indiscriminate rebellion. This oath-centric approach underscores a causal realism: tyranny arises from fidelity to unlawful orders rather than the institutions themselves, necessitating vigilant enforcement of founding principles to avert systemic collapse.

Positions on Gun Rights, Immigration, and Perceived Threats

The Three Percenters maintain an uncompromising commitment to the Second Amendment, interpreting it as an absolute bar against any form of that could enable government , which they see as a precursor to tyranny based on patterns observed in historical disarmaments. They reference empirical precedents such as the 1928 gun laws, which mandated registration and were subsequently tightened in 1938 under Nazi rule to revoke licenses from and political opponents, facilitating widespread and leaving targeted groups defenseless amid rising state violence. This absolutist stance posits that incremental restrictions, like background checks or assault weapon bans, erode individual sovereignty without addressing criminal misuse, as evidenced by unchanged or rising rates in jurisdictions with stringent laws, such as Chicago's spikes despite local prohibitions. On immigration, the group opposes policies perceived as enabling open borders, arguing that lax enforcement undermines cultural and national by allowing unvetted entries that heighten security risks, including and waves linked to illegal crossings. They emphasize legal frameworks over unrestricted flows, citing federal data on criminal noncitizens—such as the U.S. Sentencing Commission's reports of over 90% of confirmed terrorist convicts since 2001 being foreign-born—and vetting lapses in cases like the by radicalized immigrants, which exposed systemic failures in ideological screening rather than inherent racial bias. This position frames border security as a causal bulwark against societal destabilization, countering narratives in outlets like the ADL that portray such views as xenophobic by highlighting the group's focus on policy enforcement and disproportionate statistics among illegal entrants, including a 2023 GAO analysis showing noncitizens accounted for 64% of federal arrests for drug trafficking despite comprising 7% of the population. Perceived threats extend to Islamist extremism and leftist groups like Antifa, which the Three Percenters view as asymmetric dangers to public order and constitutional norms, positioning themselves as reactive defenders rather than aggressors. They point to documented Islamist activities, including armed protests near mosques in response to perceived hubs, and Antifa's involvement in violent clashes, as in the Portland riots where federal data recorded over 100 nights of and assaults with minimal prosecutions for left-wing perpetrators compared to right-wing events. This vigilance is substantiated by disparities in event outcomes—such as the Kenosha confrontations where armed citizen interventions deterred escalation amid police overload—and frames progressive tolerance of such as normalizing threats that causal realism links to eroded deterrence and rising urban disorder. Sources like CSIS reports on underscore the empirical basis for these concerns, noting spikes in ideologically motivated violence from both ends but highlighting underreporting of left-leaning incidents due to institutional biases in classification.

Organizational Structure and Membership

Decentralized Model and Lack of Central Authority

The Three Percenters function as a decentralized network rather than a , characterized by the absence of a central command structure or hierarchical leadership. This model emerged explicitly from lessons learned in prior movements, where centralized figures proved vulnerable to infiltration and legal targeting, prompting an emphasis on autonomy to preserve operational continuity. After the death of founder Mike Vanderboegh on August 29, 2016, the movement intentionally avoided designating successors, instead promoting self-organizing cells that operate independently under common symbols like the III% insignia without requiring affiliation fees, oaths, or oversight from any national body. Local chapters or cells maintain discretion over activities, drawing legitimacy from shared ideological commitments to constitutional defense rather than enforced directives, which minimizes risks associated with "" strategies by authorities. Coordination historically occurred via informal online forums and groups, fostering loose alliances while allowing units to disavow rogue actions without compromising the broader network's resilience. This structure has enabled persistence despite platform deplatformings, such as widespread bans of militia-affiliated pages following the , 2021, events, by shifting reliance to encrypted apps and personal contacts. Unlike more rigidly structured groups such as the , which maintained formal ranks, chapters, and a singular leader in —whose 2022 seditious conspiracy conviction effectively crippled the organization—the Three Percenters' diffused authority distributes decision-making, complicating comprehensive disruption efforts. Empirical outcomes support this design's causal efficacy: while hierarchical militias have faced dissolution through leadership prosecutions, the leaderless Three Percenters framework has sustained localized activity into the mid-2020s, adapting to pressures without a single failure point.

Recruitment, Training, and Internal Dynamics

Recruitment into the Three Percenters occurs largely through informal channels such as gun rights advocacy events, online forums, and social media, where memes and discussions of historical resistance attract individuals disillusioned with federal actions like ATF enforcement operations. Founder Mike Vanderboegh initiated the concept via his Sipsey Street Irregulars blog in 2008-2009, framing it as a call for armed defense of constitutional liberties, which resonated with Second Amendment enthusiasts and military veterans. Networks among veterans and personnel facilitate entry, with leaked data from groups like American Patriots Three Percenters indicating from these demographics across states. Membership is decentralized and inconsistent, relying on self-identification for many adherents who adopt the "III%" without formal approval, though some organized chapters conduct basic checks. Local leaders or officers review profiles, photos, and locations to assess legitimacy and ideological alignment, often requiring affirmations of commitment to non-aggressive principles. This process emphasizes self-selection among those prioritizing constitutional , but the absence of uniform standards has led to infiltration risks and variations in group cohesion. Training prioritizes practical preparedness, with members encouraged to develop firearms proficiency, tactical maneuvers, and survival techniques through community-hosted field exercises modeled on military protocols. These sessions, often shared via online videos, include weapons handling, medical response, and scenario-based drills framed as defensive contingencies rather than offensive operations, alongside self-study of founding documents to reinforce anti-tyranny resolve. No centralized certification exists, allowing adaptation to local resources while stressing physical readiness without reliance on formal institutions. Internal dynamics reflect the movement's loose structure, with autonomous cells enforcing ideological purity through adherence to core tenets like no initiation of force and avoidance of innocents, often resulting in public disavowals of members pursuing unauthorized or criminal activities. Vanderboegh's explicitly prohibits offensive violence, promoting expulsions or for deviations that undermine the defensive , though decentralized authority complicates enforcement and has permitted isolated vetting failures. Empirical records from federal investigations show limited proactive violence originating from vetted members, contrasting with portrayals of inherent threat and highlighting self-policing amid risks from unaffiliated opportunists.

Key Activities and Engagements

Early Militia-Style Operations (2010s)

In the aftermath of the and Barack Obama's election as president, which fueled a resurgence in anti-government activity, Three Percenters chapters proliferated across the , establishing local readiness teams oriented toward defensive preparedness against perceived federal encroachments. These teams conducted regular training in firearms handling, tactical maneuvers, and to foster community resilience and deter potential threats without initiating confrontations. Operational focus included neighborhood-style patrols and details to monitor local areas for or government overreach, exemplified by mid-2010s border vigilance operations in led by Three Percenter Kevin Massey, where armed members detained suspected undocumented immigrants at gunpoint pending arrival. Similar protective roles extended to safeguarding political figures and events, such as Idaho Three Percenters providing armed for gubernatorial candidate during her October 2018 campaign activities amid threats. Disaster response efforts further underscored practical utility, with groups offering aid to affected communities to build goodwill and demonstrate ; visibility increased following Hurricane Harvey's landfall in on August 25, 2017, where militias including Three Percenters assisted in recovery operations. Such actions prioritized logistical support over aggression, aligning with the movement's ethos of armed deterrence. Empirical assessments of the era reveal a low incidence of violence initiated by Three Percenters, with activities centered on ideological dissemination, patrols, and readiness rather than offensive operations, though isolated arrests occurred for weapons violations during border work. This pattern reflected broader militia trends of posturing as constitutional guardians amid economic discontent, eschewing proactive attacks in favor of vigilant presence.

Involvement in High-Profile Standoffs and Protests

In April 2014, members of the Three Percenters, including founder Mike Vanderboegh, joined armed supporters at the Bundy Ranch in Bunkerville, Nevada, to oppose Bureau of Land Management (BLM) efforts to impound Cliven Bundy's cattle over unpaid grazing fees dating back to 1993. The standoff escalated on April 5 when approximately 100 armed individuals confronted federal agents, leading the BLM to suspend operations on April 12 amid reports of militia snipers positioning against law enforcement, resulting in no shots fired despite the presence of over 1,000 protesters by the standoff's peak. This de-escalation is attributed to the visible armed deterrence by militias, which prompted federal withdrawal and allowed Bundy to retain his cattle without immediate arrests, contrasting initial BLM tactics of armed seizure that risked violence. Empirical outcomes challenge portrayals of such groups as inherently violent threats, as federal restraint followed civilian armament rather than preceding it, averting casualties through mutual standoff rather than aggressive enforcement. During Operation Jade Helm 15, a U.S. training exercise conducted from July 15 to September 15, 2015, across and six other states, Three Percenters aligned with broader concerns over its scale—involving 1,200 troops simulating —and optics suggesting preparation for domestic control or . Group members participated in monitoring and protests, framing the drills as indicative of federal overreach amid conspiracy-laden fears amplified within militia networks, though no direct confrontations with personnel occurred. These actions emphasized constitutional vigilance against perceived tyranny, with Governor deploying the state guard to oversee the exercise in response to apprehensions, underscoring causal links between exercise and civilian mobilization without escalation to violence. The 2016 occupation of the in , from January 2 to February 11, saw limited direct involvement from Three Percenters, with some individual members from groups like the 3 Percenters of and joining the Ammon Bundy-led protest against federal and the resentencing of ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond for . The Idaho chapter publicly disclaimed the action as a "small splinter" not endorsed by the broader movement, criticizing Bundy's leadership for provoking federal response without sufficient local community buy-in or strategic . While affirming underlying principles of property rights against federal overreach—evidenced by the occupation's demands for land transfer to local control—Three Percenters highlighted risks of unnecessary confrontation, as the 41-day event ended with arrests, one fatality (), and no territorial gains, differing from the Bundy Ranch's non-violent resolution. This restraint in distancing from the occupation reflects causal prioritization of principled defense over opportunistic escalation, avoiding broader entanglement.

Responses to COVID-19 Policies and Border Issues

Members of the Three Percenters participated in armed demonstrations against lockdown policies in 2020, including protests at the on April 30, where hundreds, some openly carrying rifles, entered the building to oppose Governor Gretchen Whitmer's extension of stay-at-home orders amid concerns over constitutional and economic impacts. Similar actions occurred on May 14, 2020, with militia-affiliated protesters, including Three Percenters, gathering to demand an end to restrictions, viewing them as tyrannical overreach rather than effective measures. These mobilizations emphasized defense of individual liberties, contrasting with the empirical evidence from a 2024 meta-analysis indicating that spring 2020 lockdowns had only a small effect on mortality while imposing substantial non-health costs. In response to border security challenges, Three Percenters-affiliated groups, such as the American Patriots Three Percent (AP3), conducted volunteer patrols along the U.S.- border from 2021 to 2024, positioning themselves as civilian supplements to overwhelmed federal efforts amid rising illegal crossings linked to operations. U.S. and Protection (CBP) recorded over 10.8 million nationwide encounters since (FY) 2021, including nearly 3 million inadmissible encounters in FY2024 alone, with significant involvement of transnational criminal organizations in migrant smuggling and trafficking. These patrols, often coordinated loosely without central direction, aimed to deter unauthorized entries and report sightings to authorities, reflecting the group's anti-tyranny ethos applied to perceived federal inaction on threats. Such activities differed markedly from contemporaneous left-wing unrest, including Antifa-associated riots during protests, which inflicted over $1 billion in insured —the costliest in U.S. —and led to thousands of arrests, though federal prosecutions remained limited despite widespread violence and arson. In contrast, Three Percenters-led protests caused no equivalent scale of destruction or fatalities, focusing instead on legislative advocacy without property harm, yet faced heightened scrutiny for armed presence despite lower overall disruption. This disparity in response highlights patterns, with data showing minimal arrests from the capitol gatherings compared to the extended rioting elsewhere.

Involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol Events

Participation and Roles of Members

Individuals affiliated with the Three Percenters were present among the crowds at the U.S. Capitol on , 2021, participating in protests against the certification of the 2020 presidential election results amid widespread claims of electoral irregularities. These claims, echoed in affidavits and statements from various participants, centered on perceived in battleground states, motivating attendance to support efforts to challenge the process. Unlike narratives framing the events as a coordinated insurrection, indicates decentralized actions by small clusters of affiliates rather than a unified Three Percenter directive. A notable example involved six men from associated with the Three Percenters, who coordinated via a Telegram channel titled "The California Patriots – DC Brigade" to travel to , for the "Stop the Steal" rally at . After the rally, around 2:00 p.m., they advanced toward the Capitol, with one member entering through a smashed window on the Upper West Terrace by 2:13 p.m. Others positioned near police lines on the northwest lawn, wearing tactical gear and carrying , while vocalizing encouragement to push forward against barriers. Video footage captured a member recording a proclaiming "Storm the Capitol!" upon reaching the terrace, reflecting self-organized efforts to access restricted areas amid the unfolding breach. Some affiliates overlapped with other groups like the , sharing communications and positioning in formations near entry points, though specific Three Percenter roles emphasized supportive presence over directed violence for the majority documented. Preparations included transporting and knives in a rented vehicle, selected in response to former President Trump's December 19, 2020, call for a "" protest on that date, underscoring reactive mobilization to perceived threats against electoral transparency rather than premeditated overthrow. The limited scale—primarily this contingent among thousands—highlights individual or small-group agency without broader organizational command.

Subsequent Indictments, Trials, and Sentences

Following the , 2021, events, federal authorities identified and charged approximately a dozen individuals affiliated with the Three Percenters on offenses ranging from and unlawful entry to to obstruct an proceeding under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2). These charges typically stemmed from evidence of group travel, communications, and presence inside the Capitol, but lacked proof of a centralized Three Percenters organizational plot to violently overthrow the , with indictments focusing instead on coordination among small subsets of members. Trials for Three Percenters defendants often resulted in guilty pleas facilitated by cooperation with prosecutors, reducing sentences relative to those who contested charges. Guy Reffitt, a Texas Three Percenter who carried a holstered handgun and urged others to "step up," was the first to go to trial in March 2022, convicted on five felony counts including obstruction of an official proceeding; he received an initial 87-month sentence in August 2022, later reduced to 80 months upon resentencing in December 2024 after a Supreme Court ruling narrowed the scope of § 1512(c)(2). In November 2023, four California Three Percenters—Derek Kinnison, David Balden, Shane Jenkins, and Ronald Mele—were convicted after trial of conspiracy to obstruct and related offenses for traveling together, using encrypted communications, and entering the Capitol; sentences handed down in April 2024 ranged from 18 to 52 months in prison, averaging around 3 years for their roles involving non-violent entry and disruption. Unlike Oath Keepers leaders, no Three Percenters faced seditious conspiracy charges under 18 U.S.C. § 2384, reflecting the absence of evidence for a unified militia agreement to oppose government authority by force. Sentencing outcomes for Three Percenters with minimal violence—such as unlawful parading or —typically yielded 1-4 years via pleas, lower than for armed or assaultive conduct but higher than for pure , with judges citing the Capitol's symbolic importance and defendants' ties as enhancers. Critics, including defense analyses, have highlighted prosecutorial venue shopping in —where juries convicted over 90% of defendants—as contributing to elevated sentences compared to the 2020 unrest, where federal charges were rarer despite billions in damages and hundreds of arsons, with many cases dropped or yielding local dispositions. Empirical disparities in pursuit and penalties, absent comparable evidence of coordinated plots in prior riots, suggest causal influences from political context and institutional priorities rather than uniform application of law, though reversal rates for convictions remain low at under 5% as of late 2024.

Government and NGO Labels as Extremist

The (SPLC) began tracking the Three Percenters in the 2010s as an anti-government extremist organization, emphasizing its promotion of armed resistance against perceived tyranny through militia-style training and rhetoric. The (ADL) similarly categorizes the group as part of the broader militia movement, which it describes as advocating for a small cadre of patriots to defend against government overreach via preparedness. U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and (FBI), have referenced the Three Percenters in assessments of domestic (DVE) since the mid-2010s, particularly highlighting anti-government militias' potential for based on observed exercises, armed protests, and ideological opposition to federal authority. Joint FBI-DHS strategic reports from 2021 to 2023 link such groups to broader DVE threats, noting their role in escalating rhetoric and occasional operational involvement in standoffs, though without formal terrorist designation equivalent to foreign entities. In , the government designated the Three Percenters a terrorist entity on June 25, 2021, under as amended by the Anti-Terrorism Act, citing the group's active chapters, promotion of violence against authorities, and cross-border ties to U.S. activities as posing significant risks to public safety and . This listing, which criminalizes membership or support, was justified by intelligence on paramilitary training and protest mobilizations rather than executed large-scale attacks.

Critiques of Extremist Designations and Media Portrayals

Critics of extremist designations applied to the Three Percenters contend that organizations such as the (SPLC) and (ADL) apply labels inconsistently, often targeting non-violent patriot and conservative groups while overlooking similar ideological expressions on the left, driven by funding incentives tied to portraying perpetual threats. The SPLC has faced lawsuits for such designations, including cases where courts or settlements acknowledged overreach against lawful advocacy entities, as seen in critiques of its "hate group" methodology that equates policy disagreement with . Similarly, the ADL's surveillance and labeling practices have drawn accusations of bias, including internal pushback for conflating critiques with and disproportionate focus on right-wing groups amid broader risks. In October 2025, the FBI severed fundamental ties with both organizations, citing realignment away from their influence in assessments, which underscores questions about their reliability in informing government policy. These designations exhibit low empirical correlation with actual violence, as psychological and criminological analyses indicate that ideological extremism alone rarely predicts violent outcomes, with many labeled individuals or groups espousing views without progressing to action. For the Three Percenters, data on affiliated criminality remains sparse relative to portrayals of menace; while isolated arrests occur, aggregate statistics show no pattern of widespread lethal attacks or terrorism comparable to other threats, with group activities more often involving public advocacy than orchestrated violence. Group representatives rebut the extremist framing by emphasizing a defensive, constitutionalist posture rooted in Second Amendment protections and historical militia precedents, rejecting anti-government aggression as a misrepresentation that conflates preparedness with sedition. Media coverage has amplified these labels, normalizing terms like "" for militia formations with negligible casualties—such as the Three Percenters—while underemphasizing disparities with Islamist , which has produced higher U.S. fatalities despite fragmented cells in both domains. Reports from 2023 to 2025 often inflate risks from such groups post-January 6 by extrapolating from outlier actions to entire networks, incentivized by narrative demands for heightened threat perception amid low baseline violence rates. This portrayal incentivizes designating bodies through donor appeal and policy influence, yet reveals that socioeconomic grievances and policy disputes, rather than inherent , better explain rare escalations, challenging the utility of broad-brush labels absent evidence of coordinated harm.

Internal Criticisms and Group Responses

The Three Percenters, operating as a decentralized network of chapters and affiliates, have experienced internal frictions from members engaging in unauthorized or escalatory actions, prompting expulsions and leadership interventions. In the American Patriots Three Percent (AP3) chapter, a member named Burley Ross was expelled in internal chats after accusing a leader of stolen valor related to unverified military claims, highlighting tensions over personal credibility and group integrity. Similarly, leaders associated with Three Percenter principles have removed members for promoting or initiating unapproved confrontations, such as street fights with antifa, to maintain operational discipline. These incidents reflect self-policing efforts amid the movement's loose structure, where rogue behaviors by "hotheads" risk broader reputational damage. Following the , 2021, Capitol events, some Three Percenter affiliates conducted informal purges or saw voluntary departures to improve public optics and distance from legal fallout. Senior AP3 members resigned over leaders' post-event advocating large-scale , viewing it as a departure from defensive postures. Chapter leaders responded by issuing public disavowals of offensive violence, as seen in a statement condemning the Charlottesville clashes and affirming opposition to unprovoked aggression, a stance reiterated in various local communications to underscore non-initiation of force. By 2022, adaptations included enhanced vetting protocols in chapters like the Washington Three Percenters, requiring screening processes for new recruits to filter out liabilities, though enforcement varies due to the movement's autonomy. Despite these internal challenges, the network demonstrated resilience in cohesion, sustaining recruitment amid heightened scrutiny. AP3, for instance, reported 175 individuals awaiting membership post-January 6, leveraging relaxed restrictions and to attract participants focused on rather than confrontation. This growth persisted into 2023-2024, with chapters adapting through localized to retain core supporters while addressing self-identified weaknesses, evidencing a pragmatic evolution toward accountability without centralized overhaul.

International Presence

Development and Activities in Canada

Canadian chapters of the Three Percenters emerged around , with the first reported group forming in in the spring of that year, followed by an Ontario chapter in the fall. These autonomous provincial units adapted the core anti-government ideology—emphasizing armed resistance to perceived tyranny, defense of constitutional rights, and protection of the right to bear arms—to local contexts, including concerns over border security and influxes of Muslim refugees. In , the chapter claimed nearly 3,000 members, though estimates of active participants ranged from 150 to 200. Activities focused on rallies against government overreach, such as events in on May 6, 2017, and in June 2017, where members provided informal security and demonstrated tactical preparedness with non-lethal weapons like shock canes. Groups also conducted paramilitary-style training and monitored sites like mosques for perceived threats, framing their efforts as defensive against rather than targeted . No violent incidents were directly attributed to Canadian chapters in early reports, with operations remaining non-escalatory despite armament and training. During the , members joined anti-lockdown protests, aligning with opposition to mandates as extensions of federal overreach. In the 2022 Freedom Convoy, Three Percenters symbols appeared on participating trucks, and individuals offered for the demonstrations, contributing to event organization without documented escalations to violence by group members. Empirical records indicate low incidence of violence in these Canadian activities, contrasting with ideological preparations for potential conflict.

Designations and Suppression in Canada

On June 25, 2021, the Government of Canada designated the Three Percenters as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code, alongside three other groups. The official rationale cited the group's active presence in Canada, its promotion of anti-government ideology, and connections to the U.S.-based organization, which authorities linked to risks of violence including participation in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol events. Canadian officials emphasized a "significant threat" from ideologically motivated extremism, despite the absence of documented terrorist attacks attributed to Canadian Three Percenters chapters. This approach relied heavily on transnational associations and perceived potential for radicalization rather than domestic incidents, prompting critiques that the label equated ideological alignment with imminent violence through guilt-by-association. The designation imposed immediate legal consequences, including the authorization for banks and financial institutions to freeze any identified assets linked to the group and criminal penalties for knowingly providing financial or support. It also facilitated enhanced surveillance and potential arrests under anti-terrorism provisions, though specific enforcement actions against Three Percenters members in from 2021 to 2023 were limited in public records, focusing more broadly on ideologically motivated probes. Public chapters effectively ceased overt operations post-listing, with members advised to disband formal structures to evade prosecution, reflecting a causal shift toward decentralized or covert activities amid heightened legal pressures. Critics, including advocates, argued the measure overreached by targeting a loosely affiliated network without of coordinated plots in , potentially stifling Second Amendment-inspired advocacy under the pretext of prevention. Government statements framed the action as a proactive deterrent against imported threats, but the lack of empirical ties to Canadian raised questions about proportionality, especially given portrayals amplifying U.S. associations without equivalent scrutiny of domestic jihadist groups' attack histories. assessments post-2021 noted persistent low-level extremist ing online, suggesting the label disrupted visible operations but not underlying ideological persistence, with individuals adapting through informal channels.

Current Status and Evolution

Fragmentation Post-2021 and Ongoing Groups

Following the federal designations of the Three Percenters as a domestic terrorist organization in 2021 and subsequent from major platforms, the movement experienced significant fragmentation rather than outright dissolution. Larger chapters splintered into smaller, decentralized variants operating under pseudonyms or rebranded identities to evade scrutiny, with activities shifting toward localized operations amid heightened pressure. This dispersion was exacerbated by internal distrust and fears of infiltration, as evidenced by undercover operations exposing coordination in groups like the American Patriots Three Percent (AP3). One prominent ongoing variant, AP3, emerged post-January 6, 2021, and maintained activity through , including efforts to monitor migrant movements along the U.S. southern and ballot drop boxes in states like during the election cycle. Internal communications leaked in revealed AP3's focus on compiling lists of "friendly" sheriffs, organizing food drives for the homeless, and debating extreme tactics such as political assassinations, indicating adaptation to underground operations despite leadership purges. At its claimed peak, AP3 leadership asserted 40,000 to 50,000 members, though experts dismissed these figures as inflated; post-2021 estimates suggest a core of several thousand active affiliates sustained through encrypted applications like Signal, bypassing on platforms such as . The broader Three Percenters network lacks a formal disbandment declaration, reflecting its ideological roots as a loose sub-movement within the ecosystem rather than a centralized entity. By 2024, loose affiliates—estimated in the low thousands based on observed online coordination and event participation—persisted via private forums and encrypted channels, prioritizing operational security amid ongoing infiltration risks documented in federal cases. This fragmentation has rendered tracking more challenging for authorities, as smaller cells engage in sporadic activities like without overt ties to the original banner.

Broader Influence on Patriot Movements

The Three Percenters' adoption and promotion of the "III%" , representing a purported three percent of colonists who resisted British rule during the , has permeated wider Second Amendment and patriot circles since the group's founding around 2008. This emblem, often displayed on flags, apparel, and vehicle decals, signifies commitment to defense against perceived tyranny and has been observed at gun rights rallies, such as the 2020 Virginia Lobby Day where thousands of demonstrators gathered against proposed restrictions, fostering a visual shorthand for resistance in non-militia 2A advocacy. The group's involvement in high-profile standoffs amplified discourse on and overreach, particularly in federal land management. In the 2014 Bundy standoff in , Three Percenter members, including co-founder Mike Vanderboegh, joined armed supporters confronting agents over grazing fees and cattle impoundment; the federal retreat on April 12, 2014, without seizing the herd marked a tactical policy reversal, deterring immediate enforcement and spotlighting claims against federal authority in . This event, echoed in later actions like the 2016 Malheur occupation, elevated patriot critiques of centralized power, contributing to heightened public and legislative scrutiny of federal land policies, though without formal statutory changes. While inspiring peripheral adoption in groups like the Proud Boys through shared anti-government rhetoric, the Three Percenters' tactics prompted federal surveillance expansions, including FBI monitoring post-2014, which critics attribute to overreach but proponents view as a necessary check on escalation. Empirical outcomes suggest a net constraining effect on aggressive federal actions: subsequent BLM grazing disputes saw negotiated settlements rather than armed confrontations, debunking narratives of militia obsolescence amid sustained 2A mobilization.

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  90. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/06/25/canada-three-percenters-terrorist-entity/
  91. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/25/canada-three-percenters-militia-group-terror-list
  92. https://www.axios.com/2021/06/25/canada-three-percenters-terrorist-list
  93. https://www.csis.org/analysis/escalating-terrorism-problem-united-states
  94. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/01/us/extremism-capitol-riot.html
  95. https://www.propublica.org/article/ap3-oath-keepers-militia-mole
  96. https://azmirror.com/2024/10/17/leaked-chats-reveal-right-wing-militias-coordinated-efforts-to-watch-az-ballot-boxes/
  97. https://www.wired.com/story/extremist-militias-are-coordinating-on-facebook/
  98. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/26/magazine/armed-militia-movement-gun-laws.html
  99. https://www.npr.org/2016/01/05/461997746/how-protests-turned-into-an-armed-takeover-of-a-wildlife-refuge-in-oregon
  100. https://www.hcn.org/issues/56-10/what-the-bundy-bunkerville-standoff-foreshadowed/
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