Oregon standoff latest in dispute with feds

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

Bundy and his brother Ryan were among of the Hammonds inside the refuge building, according to a report in the Oregonian.

‘We’re planning on staying here for years, absolutely.

So far, authorities are simply keeping people away, as the group is issuing calls for what they describe as “patriots” to come and join them. In a phone call to CNN, Bundy refused to reveal the number of protestors in the building, saying the information might jeopardize “operational security”.

They want to “restore the rights to people so they can use the land and resources” for ranching, logging, mining and recreation.

“We will continue to monitor the situation for additional developments”, Fish and Wildlife spokesman Holm said in the statement. Ironically, the “legal” basis for starting a fight with the federal government is that sovereignty “really” belongs to Oregon rather than the Paiutes, who have seen their federal trust land shrink from over one and a half million acres to a tiny remnant of 760 acres in Burns, Oregon, where this current armed standoff began.

Less important to this group of hard-line militiamen is the actual dispute, whether it is ranchers being jailed in OR or the government rounding up the Bundy family’s cattle in Nevada.

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

The two were convicted of the arsons three years ago and served time – the father three months, the son one year.

In a video posted on YouTube, Ammon Bundy said, “This is a time to stand up”. “We have no intentions of using force upon anyone, (but) if force is used against us, we would defend ourselves”.

BURNS, Ore. (AP) — Armed protesters are occupying a building at a national wildlife refuge in OR and asking militia members around the country to join them.

Ryan Bundy told the Oregonian the group was not holding hostages and did not want to resort to violence but would not rule it out if authorities attempted to remove the occupiers from the property. “What we’re doing is in accordance with the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land.” . “It’s a sentence”, Hammond said, adding that he appreciated the support from the protesters.

At first, according to the Oregonian, the Hammonds “accepted the militia’s offer of help to avoid prison”.

OPB reports that the Hammonds plan to report to jail on Monday.

Some local residents feared the Saturday rally would involve more than speeches, flags and marching.

“It’s sort of frightening when there are people making threats and people toting guns”, Burns resident Kainan Jordan told KTVZ. “I want to die a free man”.

And if that’s not enough, Bundy also says that he would have the Hammond family’s support if not for intimidation from the federal government.

The protestors in those cases were unarmed. The FBI, the Harney County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police are all reportedly aware of the occupation.

“After the peaceful rally was completed today, a group of outside militants drove to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, where they seized and occupied the refuge headquarters”.

Ward, meanwhile, said multiple agencies were “working on a solution” and urged people to steer clear of the area.

Since the incident, #OregonUnderAttack has become a popular trend across all social media platforms, but because there has been little mainstream coverage, many feel this is another act of “white terrorism” going unnoticed.

“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 over throw the county and federal government in hopes to spark a movement across the United States”, Ward said in a statement on Sunday afternoon.

On Twitter, news of the event quickly spread under the hashtag, #OregonUnderAttack, with many users mocking the light treatment of the armed protesters by law enforcement, after heavily armed reactions to protesters in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore.