Lynch mob

A lynch mob is a gathering of civilians who band together for the express purpose of hunting down and executing a specific individual, usually through hanging. This social practice, though justified by some, is a form of murder and is illegal in most civilized nations. In horror fiction, lynch mobs are often formed for the purposes of tracking down and destroying a monster that has been known to threaten their community. Lynch mobs traditionally arm themselves with meager, unsophisticated equipment consisting of lit torches, rifles, pitchforks and other farming equipment. The Frankenstein Monster has found himself on the run from lynch mobs on many occasions.