The Montana Independence Movement was a small group of insurgents on the planet Montana. It was founded and led by Stephen Westman, and vigorously opposed the proposal of annexation by Manticore during the Montana plebiscite on the question. Though they lost the vote, their position was so strongly held that the core group decided to take direct action against implementing the annexation, believing that otherwise Montana's independent spirit and nature would be lost. The movement began a series of actions designed to discredit the annexation and win a reconsideration of the vote authorizing Montana to proceed.