"Now Is The Time To Stand Up": Armed Activists, Militiamen Seize Federal Wildlife Refuge Office In Oregon
On Saturday, militants seized a remote government outpost following a protest by hundreds of angry citizens.
That could very easily be the opening line for a story about a Mid-East country beset by civil war. Instead, it’s a description of what happened in Oregon yesterday.
It all started back in 2001 when Dwight Hammond and his son Steven set fire to leased government land in what they said was an effort to beat back invasive plant species and - ironically - prevent wildfires. They set more fires in 2006 and were later convicted of arson.
(the elder Hammond)
Both men served time in prison but a judge eventually determined that their sentences were too light and ordered them back to jail.
Some folks were displeased with the ruling and staged a protest that saw some 300 people march through Burns, a city of around 3,000. The procession made a stop by the Hammond residence and proceeded to make an appearance at the local sheriff's office as well.
"As marchers reached the courthouse, they tossed hundreds of pennies at the locked door. Their message: civilians were buying back their government," AP recounts. "A few blocks away, Hammond and his wife, Susan, greeted marchers, who planted flower bouquets in the snow [after which they] sang some songs, Hammond said a few words, and the protesters marched back to their cars."
Enter Ammon Bundy.
Ammon is the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy who famously clashed with the government last year after his cattle were kidnapped by the Feds. Around 400 of Cliven's cows were busy grazing on land Bundy said he owned when the Bureau of Land Managment began to round them up and ship them off to a bovine internment camp at Bunkerville.
The government says the cattle were grazing on public rangeland, which is legal as long as the owner pays a fee. Bundy allegedly racked up some $1 million in such fees and so, the government decided to seize the cows, which the Nevada Bureau of Land Management accused of "trespassing."
Evenutally, the cavalry arrived (literally) as cowboys rode in and broke the cows out of jail. No, really.
Fast forward to November and Bundy's son Ammon was busy trying to come up with a way to keep Dwight Hammond and his son from going back to jail. "Ammon Bundy met with Dwight Hammond and his wife in November, seeking a way to keep the elderly rancher from having to surrender for prison," The Oregonian writes, adding that "the Hammonds professed through their attorneys that they had no interest in ignoring the order to report for prison."
But while the Hammonds have apparently come to terms with their fate, Bundy hasn't and in a brazen move, he and an unspecified number of "outside militants" seized control of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters, which is a short drive from Burns (where the protest took place).
The federal outpost fell to the militants without a fight presumably because it was deserted for the holidays. Here's more from the Oregonian:
"The facility has been the tool to do all the tyranny that has been placed upon the Hammonds," Ammon Bundy said.
"We're planning on staying here for years, absolutely," he added. "This is not a decision we've made at the last minute."
"The best possible outcome is that the ranchers that have been kicked out of the area, then they will come back and reclaim their land, and the wildlife refuge will be shut down forever and the federal government will relinquish such control," he said. "What we're doing is not rebellious. What we're doing is in accordance with the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land."
"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. 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," Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward said, in a statement. The elder Bundy weighed in as well, noting that the occuption isn't “exactly what [he] thought should happen." "But I didn’t know what to do,” he added. “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.”
Ammon Bundy explained the rationale for the occupation as follows:
Got that? This wildlife refuge office will become "a base place where patriots from all over the country will live and be housed." Although from the looks of it, space is limited so reserve your spots now:
The Guardian apparently stopped by the refuge for a visit:
The occupation appears to have begun at about 2pm. Two hours later, the Guardian approached the refuge, which lies about 60 miles south of the town of Burns and is only accessible via a lakeside road slick with ice and banked with snow.
There were no law enforcement agents visible in the area around the refuge. A man with a goatee beard and wraparound sunglasses stood guard, armed with an AR-15-style rifle, and refused entry to the federally owned facility.
He declined to give his name or affiliation, citing “operational security”. He did confirm, however, that the men – several of whom were openly carrying assault weapons – would be camping on the site. “This public land belongs to ‘we the people’,” he said. “We’ll be here enjoying the snow and the scenery.”
This is as close as I was allowed to get to the armed militia occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge HQ. #burnsoregon pic.twitter.com/DPztu0VsVU
— Jason Wilson (@jason_a_w) January 3, 2016
The Guardian was allowed to take a few photographs, and then it was strongly advised to leave the scene. Within hours, police had descended on the remote corner of Harney county, blocking roads and urging members of the public to stay away.
Ammon Bundy, whose father became a folk hero among rightwing constitutionalists after his previous confrontation with federal authorities in Nevada, appeared to be a key figure.
He called for other likeminded US citizens to travel to the refuge in solidarity and to support what he said would be a symbolic showdown between impoverished farmers and overzealous federal authorities.
“We’re out here because the people have been abused long enough,” he said in a video interview posted on his Facebook page on Saturday night.
It isn't entirely clear how these "patriots" plan to last "years" in the small building without supplies but that's probably irrelevant because it's difficult to imagine the oppressors in Washington will let this go on for very long. On that note, we'll close with two quotes, one from The Oregonian and one from US Army veteran Ryan Payne who is among the occupiers.
From The Oregonian: "In phone interviews from inside the occupied building Saturday night, Ammon Bundy and his brother, Ryan Bundy, said they are not looking to hurt anyone. But they would not rule out violence if police tried to remove them, they said."
From Payne: "When local and federal authorities arrive whatever else is going to happen will happen”.
(51 votes)
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The only way the few can oppress the many is through fear and thuggary. Afterall, we surround them, and they know it. The question is: do we?
It's also being studiously ignored by European media...further evidence that it's not some sort of planned false flag...
pfft its on RT.
The R in RT doesn't stand for Rotterdam, Riga, Rochdale or Rathgar...
RT is controlled op. Wake up!
RT exposed in leaked video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQQwBfux9i0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbcykd7sdfg
I used to follow RT on FB and share a lot of their quality pieces. Then I ran across some gun control pieces and stopped sharing. It was sad, but it was what it was. Show me they're not pro gun control, and I might start looking again.
Incredible: the propaganda is turning to "if you don't call these guys (and treat them like) terrorists you're racist, because if they were Muslim you would do so.
Wait til Obama sees this on TV.
Oh wait, he doesn't watch TV.
So the Federal government is probably going to incinerate a few dozen (hundred?) people Waco stlye, just as Obama implements plans to take guns away from the population at large?
I'm sure the 2016 elections will go well for Democrats.
If there is an election. We've always known that the real plan is for Obama to be able to declare Martial Law.
How fitting is it that the entire Middle East is about to blow up, and at the same time, a civil war just might be started in the US?
Obama has been ceding our nation's sovereignty to the UN and to other entities through "trade agreements", etc. I have been thinking that he is diminishing the US and building up other entities and will try to move from the White House to the UN. A little bit ago, I was watching the video of a church's weekly prophecy update. Lo and behold, the speaker (an attorney) said that he thinks O will jump over to the UN as the secretary general. The timing will work out.
So many ZHers would be amazed at how great a fit a serious evangelical Christian church would be for them.
This is an hour and a half long. I'm posting the link strictly for the curious and don't really expect anyone to feel compelled to watch it. However, since I made the reference, it is only fair to post the link while I still have the tab up. He gives apostate preachers a serious drubbing. I found it edifying since such charlatans as he shows really, really bother me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBIf0NHZ5co
Why bother with an election? Hillary will just crown herself.
#yallQueda trending on twitter... lulz.
Where can I send donations?
Vicky?
If 5000 supporters show up to support them...things will change. Do you think 5000 will show up? Posting crap on the internet....anyone can do that. Actually doing something is a different matter.
A lot of that is because people have already sold their future by getting into debt. Being debt slaves, they are no longer free to help out causes that they believe in.
Hell yeah, on my way! Yeeeee haw! Goddamn feds got a fight coming from ol' hunky tonk from down here Texas!
Sort of absurd... if they want some food for thought... they should read "Term Limits" by Vince Flynn (RIP). Just a recommendation of a good book... wonder if Harry "Roid" Reid or Ms. Piglosi have read it?
I'm confused. Can my fellow Zero hedgers help me out? I'm constantly told on Zero Hedge by certain posters that anybody(especially blacks) who resist the police, or authority, especially if armed with a gun(and especially if they have a criminal record) are liable to forfeit their life on the choosing of the officer, if said officer feel their life is in danger. Well I like consistency and therefore these militia-men deserve to get blasted in their faces and killed, if they point a gun at a federal officer, or resist authority. I like consistency and despise hypocrisy, or have I missed something? I'm getting the distinct impression from some posters that the appropriate response of law enforcement depends on the colour of ones skin. I've said it a thousand times before and I'll say it again. The patriots act and its powers will not be confined to towel-head, but will be turned/used against the average citizen when the government feels it necessary. For this stance, I was called a terrorist sympathiser.
Don't think that there are thousands asking the same question? Why is Ferguson different than this? Why aren't government officals sending in armored cars?
This is going to backfire bigtime because it is obvious to anyone that whites are treated 'special'.
Few more incidences like this and Trump can kiss his ass, he ain't never going to be elected.
Gosh golly you are clueless.
One difference is that Michael Brown got what he deserved, regardless of his race.
Officer Darren Wilson, the lying murderous piece of shit, certainly didn't. A cursory examination of where the casings were recovered prove Wilson to be a perjurer.
Ferguson is part of a greater city, and therefore of tactical importance. It's teeming with millions of multi-racial people with actual reasons, and justification, to riot hard.
By contrast, right now Malheur is as tactically-important as a popcorn fart, and teeming only with carp and honkies.
You get that impression because you are a moron and are recalling some figment of your imagination rather than the posts on ZH.
The day everything really went to hell was the day Congress passed the Patriot Act. It was clearly unconstitutional and should never have been allowed to stand. Bush should have been removed from office immediately, by force if necessary, and then should have stood trial for treason. The entire Supremem Court should have been dismissed, because they did nothing to stop it. Every Congressman that voted for it should have been removed from office. In other words, if ever there was a moment at which the people should have risen up, that was the moment. But the people didn't. Because they valued their safety more than the law and their liberty. I'd venture to guess that 99% of the population has no idea what Ben Franklin had to say about liberty versus safety. The population has been dumbed down to the point of irrelevance. Debt is out of control. The MIC is out of control. Congress is bought and paid for and doesn't give a damn about anything more than their position, their money and their perceived power.
I think you need a new law which would be something like the recall statutes. If a law is passed and 10% of the adult population signs a plebescite demanding it be reviewed by the Supreme Court, then it should be, and as a priority. Any President or Congressman proposing the Constitution be overturned, or, who breaks the law needs to be dealt with in the harshest possible way. There needs to be public control over the Supreme Court. Not so that it can be upended by shit disturbers, but so that those justices can be removed if they aren't willing to do their jobs. Finally, it is clear that the system has become much too large. People are taxed beyond their means to pay for things they don't want and don't need. I am no student of sociology but perhaps Jefferson was right in the first place, there never should have been a 'federal' government per se.
Dark Daze , I could only up vote you once, above. Here are 100 more.+
Someone is writing some common sense. Thanks.
That law is called 5.56
Should probably back that schedule up a few days, to the 11th or so.
That should have been done the day he was handed the office. Go back and watch video of that ceremony. They had what, 10,000 uniforms present that day to insure otherwise.
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2001/01/demo-j22.html
This actually started long ago the full back story not being reported.
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/01/03/full-story-on-whats-going...
Tragedy of the Commons - anyone? Pick your battles.
Now under US doctrine Russia can drop at least 50 tons of anti-tank guided missles for the freesdom fighters. And the US cant complian. I am in!
So proud of these guys! Last true use of the word "Hero".
Keep it up, mainstreaam wants nothing to do with you.
I know I am going to get bashed on this site for stating this, but these people are terrorists. They have been charged with terrorism and have been ordered to go to prison. They are no different than ISIL. That being said, I am terrified for our brave law enforcement officers who will have to take on this sick Nazi terrorists. The terrorist Nazis are surely armed with assault weapons which have probably been equipped with bullet buttons and the shoulder things that go up making them even more deadly. It's time to reign in these NRA sickos and stamp out gun ownership here forever.
So please tell us why any of us should trust our or any other government blindly? Thats what you are asking for.
Nice try .gov plant. Looking for incriminating responses,are you??
Nah, this is a comedy troll, looking for a rise out of us, check it out:
The terrorist Nazis are surely armed with assault weapons which have probably been equipped with bullet buttons and the shoulder things that go up making them even more deadly.
Are you kidding us? Yes, yes, I think you are.
Million Dollar Bonus with a new handle? That may explain it, MDB never used /sarc tags either.
What scares me is there are too many out there who think the same way.
gtfo you fucking asshat nsa agent.
Disarm the people is what rulers do just before they kill them. WAKE UP ya damn fool.
FUCK OFF you asshat government shit eater!
What kind of fucking warped mind are you? Seriously? You are either doing this just to be a dick and get people riled up just for shits and giggles or you are a legitimate piece of shit that somehow learned to type.
You can put Michelle's dick back in your mouth now.
Can anybody pull the court filings and tell us exactly what constituted this terroristic threat? Often, all that happens is that someone has popped off his/her mouth during a moment of anger. Words, nothing else.
The federal government needs to be shoved back in the little bitty box that was made for it. 'Regulate interstate commerce' MEANS to make regular. Nothing more, nothing less.
So said the Confederacy, which shall rise again.
Deo Vindice 22winmag