"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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As opposed to chemtrails, nuclear experiments, fracking, floride, war and more war and the resources used to battle it....cow shit is good for crops.
I finally decided I needed to respond to this. I grew up on a farm. In about 1971 the EPA decided farmers were going to have to put diapers on cattle because they shit and they might shit in a stream. Talk about a bunch of pissed off farmers. The new rule eventually got lost in the paperwork and disappeared. Northeast South Dakota has the largest water basin in the state. The EPA decided that livestock releaving themselves(nitrates) and farmers over fertilizing for 60 years (nitrates) had ruined the water supply for drinking. Roberts county (and several other counties) South Dakota now has all it's water piped in from the Missouri River. You can count the number of livestock in the county on one hand. This is ludicrous. When liberals in L.A. decide they kind of like milk and steak......at some point this will change. I won't get into carbon tax on cows and maximum manure that can be spread on land.
"It has to be reclaimed after they trample it" What kind of moronic statement is that? Find an area with cattle and you will find more birds than other areas. The animals together thrive(synergies). People should know what they are talking about before they make idiotic statements.
I have no doubt that farmers ruined the water table (in S.D.) using too much fertilizer (more is better) when they had no way of knowing what the right amount was all those years. The cattle shitting? Maybe it's time for a nuke and the stone age again so tea strainers can get a grip on reality. They love the hamburger but seeing the cow slaughtered would be one of God's wake up calls.
We need cows to shit to restore ther natural balance that got out of whack with the demise of the bison.
We need more Farmers because there is a lack of common sense in city folk.
Lord, thank you I worked a farm as a young man.
This isint a issue of freedom, or gun liberry its about the GREED of a bunch of daisy sniffing rock picking me first liberal assholes that hate to see a piece of choice beef on the table.
In the 14 years preceding the US 'War on Terror' there was only ONE reported suicide bombing and it happened in Pakistan - The 'war on terror' has produced nothing but Zionist/US 'manufactured' terrorism !!!
These guys can't seriously think that they can hold this building forever.
What could their best scenario would be?
What they are banking on is bringing the truth that the fed gov has no business in land management in side the states. It should be up to the citizens of individual states on how the land is used, not some bureaucrats in DC or fvkin LA.
Well, the Feds will probably talk to them to step down. If not, then Waco/Ruby Ridge style takedown will occur. The .gov does not mess around with domestic dissent at this level. Head of Homeland Security is a dual citizen that will do his best not to let something like this gain traction and cause headaches for his agency.
He is African-American, that's not dual citizen.
He looks like a lizard to me. Must also have citizenship in Lizard Land.
Chertoff
Johnson is a Communist Negro racist
Out of food and water? I suspect more patriots will be arriving and they will not need to take the main roads to get there either. Do not think that Bundy doesn't have others in the battle.
Are you headed out there?
LOL - read some of the links posted here. Sensible local people have already distanced themselves from the Bundys (not the brightest bulbs in the box).
Google Map the place. It is in the middle of nowhere and there is one road. It would be a cinch to fully blockade the compound. Then send a negotiator in with the terms:
a) Leave now, no charges
b) Leave in 48 hours, minor trespass charges
c) Keep escalating
Once the food runs out (the Bundys look like they like to eat) a short prison stint would be welcomed.
The backgrounder info way, way back in the comments said that the people arrived at the building yesterday pulling trailers with supplies.
Take a look at that top photo.
Look at the DIGNITY in Dwight Hammond's face.
That's something you'll never see with any of those self-serving, sold-out scum-bags in DC - they don't know the meaning of the word... there's no money attached.
They had best be very careful.
I like this guy moar and moar every day::))
This is history in the making and it is needed. I ain't no sheep and neither are the Ranchers, yet the double dealing, two faced politicians and bureaucrats have been pushing the citizens in the wrong direction for too long.
None of this would have been necessary if the Constitution and Bill of Rights were followed and not turned into toilet paper by the last four or five administrations.
These people are the true heroes, not the traitorous terrorists n DC.
You need to go back at least 100 years to 1913 as the year the country was lost; more for disregarding the foundation on which it was built and trading the truth for the lies.
shouldnt it be liberated, not seized.
the amount of pure disregard for the Constitution all throughout the Federal government, led by the executive ordering Obama, all throughout congress, its hard to believe that any American actually still believes they really have a constitution. you think you live in a democracy or a republic? too big to fail. those are the words that tell you there is no law left in the entire country. from corporations buying the laws (lobbyists/TPP/TTIP/NAFTA) to the PATRIOT ACT, its all plundering from the top elites/corporations & bankers. you think it's bad now? this will end up with the "hunger games society" if there is no civil war.. military people better start planning the overthrow or else its lost. the US federal Government is a cesspool so concentrated that the rare good ones dont have a hope in hell.
Because military coups have such a great track record of ending well for the citizenry...
Jesus. Be careful what you wish for.
Because military coups have such a great track record of ending well for the citizenry...
Jesus. Be careful what you wish for.
Joe Biggs, speaking with an anonymous source within the federal government was told that the government has other ways to deal with this, and since it is very remote,
there would be no collateral damage.
In other words, the Feds are thinking of sending a Hellfire missile into the building from a drone to kill the 100+ American Patriots that are there.
If they do this, it will be CIVIL WAR.
The other ways may be taking all their photos, running them through NSA face recognition technology to be sure who they are, then use the IRS to bring criminal audits of each one.
Might that not result in auditors getting shot?
The only way they can win is if 5000 people show up to support them or the government kills some of them.
Black lives matter has ruined Ammon Bundy's facebook page.
Black lives matter has been active on this site as well.
The next time you think about supporting black lives matter....think about how they are helping support these guys.
This whole thing has to be a political statement because tactically it is a complete disaster.
I think they are all going to wind up in jail and that is sad.
Why Black Lives matter doesn’t realize we all are fighting the same enemy? DUH?? And its not a bunch of white libertarians, they really have to work on focusing their anger to the people who are really oppressing them... our government??? WTF? To see them defending this Gov is unreal, they have no idea who their enemy really is? Black Lives matter should be supporting these guys? Its government and Law enforceement what is Black Lives problem with this again??? It is starting to sound all fixed.
the cia ladies are on full damage control from multiple fronts.
the last thing they need is for black lives matter TO TEAM UP with these boys in oregon. CAN U IMAGINE THE WILDFIRE that will spread if these movements all start to find common ground when they all realize who THE REAL enemy is? 2 words: WHOLY FUCK and then 1 word: BOOM
so the tactics on this site are stupendously obvious. they will:
1. minimize and "lol" at this situation
2. interject blacklives / other movements into this thing in a bid to have them fight each other.
3. anything to keep this thing from growing. just read some of the comments on here. mind numbingly obvious.
I agree. Why everyone doesn’t realize we ALL have a common interest.. why over complicate things? I wish they could realize we are all on the same team? Its the gov that is the enemy not other American Citizens? We all just want some freedom from tyranny? Its really pretty simple. I would be shocked if they didn’t understand? Its clearly the exact same source of oppression they are fighting?
If Black lives actually mattered then Blacks would do something about Blacks killing other Blacks. But.... apparently Black lives don't mean shit to Blacks.
love the diversion and the devide and conquer strategy. keep spreading that nonsense ladies.
Uh huh
The feds lie about everything.
They covered up 911.
Oh look they want to set up Northwestern White Caliphate. Now look at all them flock to Oregon like ISIS flowing to Syria. Who created them, two generations removed from Hitler?
You're either a shitskin, a .gov paid troll or a total fuckin mainstream sheeple retard.
Whatever you are, go drink a mug of STFU.
Obama, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and fella possessing a drone murder list of 'suspects', will figure out how to make a grand speech about how this is so un American and send in the drones to deal with this.
The folks in Oregon is Main Street America. These are not the 1% nor be they Kardashian groupies nor politically correct types. This is the electorate saying where is our voice?
Censoring comments now Zero Hedge? Who is worried about TSA censoring when you guys are now censoring dialogue for them? My comment with 20 up votes was taken down along with other negative BLM and Forest Service comments summited by others. You site is becoming more and more of a propaganda site then it is a news source.
Common - they use a third party service that is responsible for "administration". Some people's accounts will just vanish for no apparent reason. Also, remember we live in surreality, not reality...that comes after you actually die.
Why didn't Bundy (and the Hammonds) just graze on private lands?
The feds unlawfully control most of the land.
"became a folk hero among rightwing constitutionalists after his previous confrontation with federal authorities in Nevada" - END
Note the use of the language and store that in your memories; they are painting these people like "extremeist" or "terrorists"..watch the adjectives.
Verbs are important in looking at what is unknown passed as fact such as "scientists believe", "experts think", "studies may show", "most scientists accept", "medical experts may have", and on it goes, but they all mean the same thing "they do not know"; yet teach as though it's fact.
In terms of using language to spread propaganda, notice the guy blogging in here who equates these Ranchers with ISIS and also the communist-financed thugs in Ferguson. I wonder who he's working for.
Good point. Why must someone who believes in the constitution be described as right or left wing? Shows only that the writer is a fucktard.
There is only The Constitution. Get a copy and a good dictionary. It is not left, right, up or down.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160103231931/https://www.superstation95.co...
good backgroudn info
These "militia" are now felons who are idiots. I'm pro gun, but this is wrong. These people need to turn themselves in. They make gun owners look REAL bad.
Hey retard, this is the #1 reason the founders wrote the 2nd Amendment. To have the tools necessary to stand up to a .gov that has ran amok and overstepped/abused their powers.
It is quite obvious that you have not paying strict attention to the back story OR you are a .gov plant to skew opinion on various forums. Either way, you look like a moron by your statement.
3 weeks 4 days?
A little early to be throwing your garbage around like that.