take up arms

"He took up arms against the United States, misappropriated funds, and was ultimately captured and imprisoned by his own troops."

Paramilitary groups emerged in Colombia in the 1980s to fight Marxist guerrillas that had taken up arms against the state.

Opposition supporters took up arms and the country descended into civil war.

His backing of the concept of Ivoirité, or Ivorieness, pushed soldiers in the north to take up arms and the country was divided in two.

All of them said they were prepared to take up arms again if the ceasefire breaks down.