Peaceful protest followed by Oregon wildlife refuge action

In a video posted to Facebook, he declares: “We have basically taken over the Malheur Wildlife Refuge”.

Lawyers for the Hammonds have reportedly said they accept the court’s ruling and will report to federal authorities on Monday to begin serving their new sentences. The pair lit several fires from the late 1990s onwards to promote the growth of grass for their cattle, but in 1999, 2001 and 2006, the fires spread onto neighbouring public land in the Malheur wildlife refuge.

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.

Federal management of land in the West has rankled many people living in rural parts of the region for years, but the tension exploded onto national headlines in 2014 when Bundy led a standoff against federal rangers. Bundy stopped paying grazing fees over 20 years ago and owes more than $1 million. The Bureau ultimately handed back the cattle and federal agents withdrew.

Delgado made clear that they aren’t necessarily against militia members, but that the message of the Constitution shouldn’t be co-opted from the rest of the community by one particular group, especially when that group is made up of many people who aren’t from Bend, or even Central Oregon.

“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.

Ammon Bundy told his dad that the group at the wildlife refuge had a backup generator and “supplies”, Cliven Bundy said.

“We the people need to take a stand”, said Ritzheimer, adding he expects 75-year-old Dwight Hammond to die in prison. He said his son has been very active in the educating people about the incident.

Bedortha said the Hammonds are not at the refuge building either, and that what the people there are doing “has nothing to do with the Hammonds, it’s of their own accord”. Calling his group “the point of the spear”, Ammon Bundy called on like-minded militants to “bring your arms”.

The elder Hammond has already spent a total of three months in jail, while his son spent a year, according to local media. The Hammonds are ranchers who were convicted of arson after a controlled burn got out of hand. “I know I never said it enough but I’ve become so proud of the mother you’ve become”. They’re vowing to occupy the remote federal outpost for “years” – or at least for as long as it takes for their demands to be heard.

Then, the group divided in two.

“He told me that they were there for the long run. I felt like that was supportive”.

Numerous marchers later congregated at the Harney County Fairgrounds, before some diverted to the wildlife refuge.

After the march Saturday, the armed protesters broke into the refuge’s unoccupied building and refused to leave.

The group wants to see ranchers, loggers and miners reclaim their land from the government and that the wildlife refuge be shut down, with the government relinquishing its control, Ryan Bundy said.