US Federal Land in Taken Over by Armed Militia

[Warhippy]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/03/us/oregon-wildlife-refuge-protest/

 

(CNN)Armed anti-government protesters have taken over a building in a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, accusing officials of unfairly punishing ranchers who refused to sell their land.

One of them is Ammon Bundy, the 40-year-old son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who is well-known for anti-government action.

He spoke by phone to CNN on Sunday. Asked several times what he and those with him want, he answered in vague terms, saying that they want the federal government to restore the "people's constitutional rights."

OPINION: Face it, Oregon building takeover is terrorism

"This refuge -- it has been destructive to the people of the county and to the people of the area," he said.

"People need to be aware that we've become a system where government is actually claiming and using and defending people's rights, and they are doing that against the people."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Armed protesters rally to support Oregon rancher 02:05

The group is occupying part of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns after gathering outside for a demonstration supporting Dwight and Steven Hammond, father-and-son ranchers who were convicted of arson.

Prosecutors said the Hammonds set a fire that burned about 130 acres in 2001 to cover up poaching. They were sentenced to five years in prison.

The Hammonds, who are set to turn themselves in Monday afternoon, have said they set the fire to reduce the growth of invasive plants and to protect their property from wildfires, CNN affiliate KTVZ reported.

The Hammonds have been clear in that they don't want help from the Bundy group.

"Neither Ammon Bundy nor anyone within his group/organization speak for the Hammond family," the Hammonds' attorney W. Alan Schroeder wrote to Harney County Sheriff David Ward.

CNN law enforcement analyst Art Roderick, a retired U.S. marshal who investigated anti-government militias for years, warned that Bundy's call for supporters to join him might "turn into a bad situation."

"What's going to happen hopefully (is) ... we don't go out there with a big force, because that's what they're looking for," he said. "The last thing we need is some type of confrontation."

He said that over the years, law enforcement has learned how to handle a situation like this; one that hasn't erupted in violence and in which a law may be broken, but there's no immediate threat to anyone's life.

The best approach now, Roderick said, is to wait the group out and to figure out how to bring a peaceful end to the situation.

The protest has prompted Harney County School District 3 to call off classes for the entire week, Superintendent Dr. Marilyn L. McBride said.

"Schools will open on January 11," she said. "Ensuring staff and student safety is our greatest concern."

 

'We are not terrorists'

 

After the march Saturday, the armed protesters broke into the refuge's unoccupied building and refused to leave. Officials have said there are no government employees in the building.

"We will be here as long as it takes," Bundy said. "We have no intentions of using force upon anyone, (but) if force is used against us, we would defend ourselves."

Ammon Bundy said that the group in Oregon was armed, but that he would not describe it as a militia. He declined to say how many people were with him, telling CNN on Sunday that giving that information might jeopardize "operational security."

The elder Bundy drew national attention last year after staging a standoff with federal authorities over a Bureau of Land Management dispute.

"We are not terrorists," Ammon Bundy said. "We are concerned citizens and realize we have to act if we want to pass along anything to our children."

He wouldn't call his group a militia, but others are.

"I don't like the militia's methods," local resident Monica McCannon told KTVZ. "They had their rally. Now it's time for them to go home. People are afraid of them."

 

What the protesters want

 

When asked what it would take for the protesters to leave, Bundy did not offer specifics. He said he and those with him are prepared to stay put for days or weeks or "as long as necessary."

 

 

 

8 photos: Land Rights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We are using the wildlife refuge as a place for individuals across the United States to come and assist in helping the people of Harney County claim back their lands and resources," he said.

"The people will need to be able to use the land and resources without fear as free men and women. We know it will take some time."

He did not explicitly call on authorities to commute the prison sentences for the Hammonds, but he said their case illustrates officials' "abuse" of power.

"Now that people such as the Hammonds are taking a stand and not selling their ranches, they are being prosecuted in their own courts as terrorists and putting them in prison for five years," Bundy said.

He said the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge has taken over the space of 100 ranches since the early 1900s.

"They are continuing to expand the refuge at the expense of the ranchers and miners," Bundy said.

He also said Harney County, in southeastern Oregon, went from one of the state's wealthiest counties to one of the poorest.

CNN has not independently corroborated Bundy's claims."I want to emphasis that the American people are wondering why they can't seem to get ahead or why everything is costing more and you are getting less, and that is because the federal government is taking and using the land and resources," Bundy said.

 

What the feds say

 

Acting U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams of Oregon gave a starkly different perspective on the arson case.

His office declined to comment on the situation at the wildlife refuge Saturday, but it cited an opinion piece written by Williams in the Burns Times Herald last month defending the federal prosecutors' actions in the Hammonds case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protesters march for Oregon ranchers 02:05

"Five years ago, a federal grand jury charged Dwight and Steven Hammond with committing arson on public lands and endangering firefighters," Williams wrote for the newspaper. "Steven Hammond was also found guilty of committing a second arson in 2006."

The prosecutor said witnesses saw the Hammonds illegally slaughter a herd of deer on public land.

"At least seven deer were shot with others limping or running from the scene," Williams wrote.

He said a teenage relative of the Hammonds testified that Steven Hammond gave him a box of matches and told him to start the blaze. "The fires destroyed evidence of the deer slaughter and took about 130 acres of public land out of public use for two years," the prosecutor wrote.

Williams also disputed the notion that the Hammonds were prosecuted as terrorists, as Bundy suggested.

"The jury was neither asked if the Hammonds were terrorists, nor were defendants ever charged with or accused of terrorism," Williams wrote. "Suggesting otherwise is simply flat-out wrong."

CNN's Evan Perez, Kevin Liptak and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report.

[Warhippy]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/oregon-burns-malheur-standoff-1.3388534

 

People in the rural eastern Oregon town of Burns are used to worrying about friction between the federal government and locals, but the armed takeover of a nearby national wildlife refuge is raising concerns to a new high.

 

• 5 key things to know about standoff in Oregon
• Federal building occupied by militia protesters

Keith Landon, a long-time resident of Burns and employee at the Reid Country Store, said he knows local law enforcement officials who fear their kids will be targeted by angry militia members.

 

The mother of one of his kids is now involved with an officer, and they decided to send their children to another town after feeling threatened by an angry protester, Landon said.

Ammon Bundy, the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, is one of a group of people occupying the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. (Les Zaitz/The Oregonian/Associated Press)

"I'm hoping most of it's just muscle, trying to push," he said. "But it's a scary thing."

Armed protesters, who authorities say are coming from outside the area, took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge south of Burns on Saturday after participating in a peaceful rally over the prison sentences of local ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond.

The Hammonds were convicted of arson three years ago for fires that burned on federal land in 2001 and 2006. They served their original sentences — Dwight, three months and Steven, one year — but an appellate judge ruled in October that the terms were too short under federal minimum sentencing laws.

Both men were ordered back to prison for four years each. They have said they plan to turn themselves in Monday.

The decision to send the men back to prison generated an outcry and plays into a decades-long dispute between some Westerners and the federal government over the use of public lands.

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, eastern Oregon (Google)

Brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy are among those occupying the refuge. Their father, Cliven Bundy, was involved in a standoff with the government last year over grazing rights in Nevada.

Ryan Bundy told The Associated Press on Sunday that he hopes to turn over the land to local authorities so people can use it free of federal oversight. He said he hopes the takeover will prompt others to take action across the country to seize control of federally managed land.

Ammon Bundy has previously called on members of militia groups to take a stand with those at the refuge.

The FBI is working with local and state authorities to "bring a peaceful resolution to the situation," the bureau said in a statement late Sunday. It said it is the lead investigative agency and would not release details about the law enforcement response to ensure the safety of officers and those at the refuge.

At the property, several pickup trucks blocked the entrance and armed men wearing camouflage and winter gear used radios to alert those at the refuge buildings when reporters were allowed in.

Ryan Bundy declined to say how many people were at the site.

Protesters march in support of an Oregon ranching family facing jail time for arson in Burns, Ore., on Jan. 2. (Les Zaitz/The Oregonian/Associated Press)

"The end goal here is that we are here to restore the rights to the people here so that they can use the land and resources. All of them," Bundy said.

That means ranchers can graze their cattle on the land, miners can use their mineral rights, loggers can cut trees, and hunters and fishers can shoot and cast, he said.

The Bundy brothers say the group plans to stay at the refuge as long as it takes.

"We're planning on staying here for years, absolutely," Ammon Bundy told reporters over the weekend. "This is not a decision we've made at the last minute."

If the situation turns violent, Ryan Bundy contends that it will be because of the federal government's actions.

Sheriff: false pretences

"I mean, we're here to restore order, we're here to restore rights and that can go peacefully and easily," he said.

Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward said the group came to town under false pretenses.

"These men came to Harney County claiming to be part of militia groups supporting local ranchers, when in reality these men had alternative motives to attempt to overthrow the county and federal government in hopes to spark a movement across the United States," Ward said in a statement Sunday.

Landon, the longtime Burns resident, said he sympathizes with the Bundys' frustrations. Landon was a logger until the federal government declared the spotted owl a protected species in the 1980s, damaging the local logging industry.

 

"The spotted owl started the downfall of our community, then (President) Clinton made the Steens Mountains a wilderness area or whatever. Five generations of ranchers that had been on the Steens, kicked them off," he said. "It's hard to discredit what they're trying to do out there. But I don't want anybody hurt."

'Low presence'

He said that on the surface, it doesn't look like much has changed in Burns, a high desert town of about 2,700 people.

"It's weird — I woke up this morning expecting the town to be crawling with this and that agency. But you don't see any of it. They're keeping a low presence," Landon said Sunday.

However, most of the hotels in the area are booked, and he's noticed that officers are doing their patrols in pairs instead of alone. The biggest difference since the takeover is the undercurrent of worry, he said.

"I'm glad they took the refuge because it's 30 miles (50 km) away," Landon said. "I mean, they could have took the courthouse here in town."

[Warhippy]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/oregon-ranchers-occupy-national-wildlife-refuge_56888a61e4b0b958f65be382

 

BURNS, Ore. (AP) — A protest in support of Oregon ranchers facing jail time for arson was followed by an occupation of a building at a national wildlife refuge led by members of a family previously involved in a showdown with the federal government.

Ammon Bundy — the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who was involved in a standoff with the government over grazing rights — told The Oregonian on Saturday that he and two of his brothers were among a group of dozens of people occupying the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Ammon Bundy posted a video on his Facebook page asking for militia members to come help him. He said "this is not a time to stand down. It's a time to stand up and come to Harney County," where Burns is located. Below the video is this statement: "(asterisk)(asterisk)ALL PATRIOTS ITS TIME TO STAND UP NOT STAND DOWN!!! WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! COME PREPARED."

In an interview with reporters late Saturday night that was posted on Facebook, Bundy said he and others are occupying the building because "the people have been abused long enough."

"I feel we are in a situation where if we do not do something, if we do not take a hard stand, we'll be in a position where we'll be no longer able to do so," he said.

Bundy said the group planned to stay at the refuge indefinitely. "We're planning on staying here for years, absolutely," Ammon Bundy said. "This is not a decision we've made at the last minute."

 

Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward told people to stay away from the building as authorities work to defuse the situation, the Oregonian reported (http://is.gd/bK7d4E).

"A collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a solution. For the time being please stay away from that area. More information will be provided as it becomes available. Please maintain a peaceful and united front and allow us to work through this situation," Ward said in a statement.

An Idaho militia leader who helped organize the earlier march said he knew nothing about activities after a parade of militia members and local residents in Burns walked past the sheriff's office and the home of Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven.

Beth Anne Steele, an FBI spokeswoman in Portland, told The Associated Press the agency was aware of the situation at the national wildlife refuge. She made no further comment.

Some local residents feared the Saturday rally would involve more than speeches, flags and marching. But the only real additions to that list seemed to be songs, flowers and pennies.

As marchers reached the courthouse, they tossed hundreds of pennies at the locked door. Their message: civilians were buying back their government. After the march passed, two girls swooped in to scavenge the pennies.

Ammon Bundy's father, Cliven Bundy, told Oregon Public Broadcasting on Saturday night that he had nothing to do with the takeover of the building.

Bundy said his son felt obligated to intervene on behalf of the Hammonds.

"That's not exactly what I thought should happen, but I didn't know what to do," he said. "You know, if the Hammonds wouldn't stand, if the sheriff didn't stand, then, you know, the people had to do something. And I guess this is what they did decide to do. I wasn't in on that."

His son Ammon told him they are committed to staying in the building, Cliven Bundy told Oregon Public Broadcasting.

"He told me that they were there for the long run. I guess they figured they're going to be there for whatever time it takes_and I don't know what that means," Cliven Bundy said. "I asked him, 'Well how long can ya, how long you going to stand out there?' He just told me it was for long term."

A few blocks away, Hammond and his wife, Susan, greeted marchers, who planted flower bouquets in the snow. They sang some songs, Hammond said a few words, and the protesters marched back to their cars.

Dwight Hammond has said he and his son plan to peacefully report to prison Jan. 4 as ordered by the judge.

Dwight Hammond, 73, and Steven Hammond, 46, said they lit the fires in 2001 and 2006 to reduce the growth of invasive plants and protect their property from wildfires.

The two were convicted of the arsons three years ago and served time — the father three months, the son one year. But a judge ruled their terms were too short under federal law and ordered them back to prison for about four years each.

The decision has generated controversy in a remote part of the state.

In particular, the Hammonds' new sentences touched a nerve with far right groups who repudiate federal authority.

Ammon Bundy and a handful of militiamen from other states arrived last month in Burns, some 60 miles from the Hammond ranch.

In an email to supporters, Ammon Bundy criticized the U.S. government for a failed legal process.

[inane]

In this context

'Armed militia' = white guys.

'Terrorists' = everyone else. 

America be crazytimes.

[Warhippy]

Looks like the work of them white terrorists...what do they call themselves again?

 

Oh ya, YallQeada.  Acting up on that Shania law and such.

 

2nd amendment my left babymaker....

[Warhippy]

6 minutes ago, inane said:

In this context

'Armed militia' = white guys.

'Terrorists' = everyone else. 

America be crazytimes.

Just exercising their 2nd amendment of course by arming themselves to the teeth and taking over a government building and land and threatening anyone from the fed that comes close all while saying we don't want anyone to get hurt....

[TOMapleLaughs]

8 minutes ago, inane said:

In this context

'Armed militia' = white guys.

'Terrorists' = everyone else. 

America be crazytimes.

This.

Their 'right to carry' laws also apply only to whites.

 

It is ironic that entitled white paranoid individuals like these are the ones complaining about their rights being taken away. 

[riffraff]

 

[etsen3]

If they were middle eastern they'd be called terrorists, if they were black they would be called thugs etc.

[Robongo]

Tyranny at its finest. Obama is trying to make a park twice the size of Yellowstone into a national monument thereby putting out hundreds upon hundreds of ranchers out of business that they've run since the 1800's. The corporate media is a joke and should have lost all credibility long ago yet people still believe their bull$&!#

[taxi]

1 hour ago, inane said:

29 minutes ago, etsen3 said:

If they were middle eastern they'd be called terrorists, if they were black they would be called thugs etc.

 

The main difference is that they didn't just walk in and start shooting people. These guys  are being characterized as a bunch of hick yokels...I'm not sure that's any better. 

[TOMapleLaughs]

30 minutes ago, etsen3 said:

If they were middle eastern they'd be called terrorists, if they were black they would be called thugs etc.

And if the President was white, they wouldn't be doing what they're doing.

[Robongo]

4 minutes ago, TOMapleLaughs said:

And if the President was white, they wouldn't be doing what they're doing.

Yea they wouldn't be protecting their family ranches that their families have lived on for over a century if the president had a different skin color Kudos to these brave people for standing up to tyranny

[TOMapleLaughs]

Just now, Robongo said:

Yea they wouldn't be protecting their family ranches that their families have lived on for over a century if the president had a different skin color

I'm sorry, are all of them who have assembled there protecting their family ranches?

[Robongo]

2 minutes ago, TOMapleLaughs said:

I'm sorry, are all of them who have assembled there protecting their family ranches?

No, not all, but they are protecting the constitution from an out of control land grabbing tyrannical government.

[Warhippy]

33 minutes ago, Robongo said:

Tyranny at its finest. Obama is trying to make a park twice the size of Yellowstone into a national monument thereby putting out hundreds upon hundreds of ranchers out of business that they've run since the 1800's. The corporate media is a joke and should have lost all credibility long ago yet people still believe their bull$&!#

Corporate media is a joke but Next news is impartial and not at all owned by a jewish right wing conservative named Gary Franchi who is a registered tea party supporter...I am sorry, I just cannot help but chuckle as Gary Franchi might be intelligent but is a conspiracy theorist nutbar as well

 

You're aware that just because they talked about a park doesn't mean they were going to enact legislation to name one, and even IF they did nobody would be out of work let alone run out of business right?  not how it works.  See Southern Okanagan Wildlife preserve and park for more info on that as it is the exact same issue being talked about here as there.

 

Now to the point...is this an act of terrorism or not?

[TOMapleLaughs]

1 minute ago, Robongo said:

an out of control land grabbing tyrannical government.

ie. The racial expletive in office.

[higgyfan]

43 minutes ago, Robongo said:

No, not all, but they are protecting the constitution from an out of control land grabbing tyrannical government.

Ironic isn't it?

I'm sure they feel the same way as the American Indian people felt when the out of control land grabbing tyrannical government was grabbing their land for the farmers and ranchers.

Karma is a b**** isn't it?

[RUPERTKBD]

When people "take over" a public building and make it clear that they are armed and will "defend themselves" they have crossed the line that delineates a peaceful protest.

The various levels of government involved need to take appropriate legal action and if the "protesters" refuse to comply, they need to make arrests. 

Allowing these people to illegally remain sends the message that if there is something government does that you don't agree with, stage an armed standoff with the authorities and pretend that your illegal actions are merely citizens standing up for their rights.

[taxi]

8 minutes ago, RUPERTKBD said:

When people "take over" a public building and make it clear that they are armed and will "defend themselves" they have crossed the line that delineates a peaceful protest.

The various levels of government involved need to take appropriate legal action and if the "protesters" refuse to comply, they need to make arrests. 

Allowing these people to illegally remain sends the message that if there is something government does that you don't agree with, stage an armed standoff with the authorities and pretend that your illegal actions are merely citizens standing up for their rights.

That's exactly the point this group is trying to make. I don't think anyone is arguing that this is peaceful protest. However, there's still a difference between doing this and simply opening fire on unsuspecting people.