"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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Actually the timing could be ingenious. Think about it, the gov is going to take our guns anyway that is a given, so this action by the ranchers will bring this whole creeping gun control agenda to the fore front. Might be the shot heard around the world. If not this one, then one is definitely coming.
Your right, two ways it can be considered, but taking a fixed emplacement? All of you physically able need to learn and learn quick; movement - stealth = freedom - real change
You are 200% right!
Nah, O'Bummer doesn't really really want to kill off the only manufacturing industry left in 'Merica.
That of making 'War Weapons'.
Soo... expect a tax for the peons to purchase.
After all, only the middle class deserves to purchase.
(Edit: In other countries, was it confiscation or voluntary submission?)
CHECK THAT OUT.
maybe they are just the center of concentric circles that go on forever like the ripples of a stone dropped into a still water. fed reacts and encircles them. others react and encircle the feds.
Look at the walls of the building, they appear to be solid stone. Not a horrible emplacement to take.
Tell that to Dorner.
You mean, tell Dorner what happens when you out some crooked, co-worker cops?
Maginot line had reinforced concrete in place 15-20 foot thick, how did that work out after Skorzeny had a go..
It's not yet and may not yet become a military stand off. Right now, it is still a political stand off. They're calling for like minded people to support them, like people did at the Bundy Ranch. Hard to go support them if they're running around in the frozen brush somewhere. I admire the Bundys. They've got guts.
It's Flyover Country.
Drop air supplies.
BTW: Feds have Hellfires, or was that a Nat Gas leak?
@ Calm
Exactly correct. We won the revolutionary war by stealth, the VC won by stealth and a sparadic bombardment which fucked up a lot of things but it's main goal was to implement fear and have their enemies QUESTION why they were there.
the timing is idiotic. The gov is not going to 'take our guns away', thats not a given. I am most emphatically NOT saying they don't want to take our guns away, they do, but this isn't it. All this is going to do is re-categorize certain people who sell a certain number of guns a year as "dealers" and make them to background check, and other similar things. The new congressional proposals are DOA and the left knows it, its all politcal theater. There will no doubt come a time when they do in fact try to take our guns, but this isn't it. They can't get away with that and they know it, so they aren't going to try yet. "They" may be evil, but they aren't stupid.
And these aren't a bunch of "local ranchers" they are out of towners who are purposely trying to start a fight over a completely unimportant building in the middle of no where. The family of the rancher in question has condemned this action, as have most III% types in the area. These aren't fed up locals, they are out of town people who are trying to stir the pot. Obama and his minions probably cackled with glee when they heard about this. The timing of this is so bad, the people involved are either insanely stupid, or one or more of them are feds or informers following directions and leading a bunch of useful idiots to the slaughter.
Do. Not. Fall. For. This. Bullshit.
Let's get a crowdfunding site set up to help these guys.
Yes.
Also ... Some specific persons in the bureaucracy had to sign off on this over the years. Who are they? Where do they live?
Time for multiple peaceful vigils 24/7 in front of their houses and childrens schools.
Here's a directory: http://www.blm.gov/or/contacts_list.php
Support demonstrations/sit-ins might consider starting here:
Oregon/Washington BLM1220 S.W. 3rd Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
E-mail: BLM_OR_SO_Land_Office_Mail@blm.gov
Building Hours: 7:00am - 5:00pm, M-F
Public Room hours: 8:00am - 3:30pm, M-F
We're all Peasants now.
#peasantivesmatter
@ Greenskeeper Carl
I Concur, it's theater entertainment for tomorrows gun control SOTHUA, 'the spoiler'.
Damn the bad luck O's going to screw Hitlarys chance to control the USSA.
"seized control of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters"
When it's the Whitehouse
Wake me up.
Tylers what took you so long?! Is not like you have to be given a clearence /sarc
what a load of nednecks...sooo these guys want free stuff at whose expense ? too many mericans watching alex jones.These morons think its their right to run cattle on public lands wtf. set fire to nature preserves ? Talk about special snowflakes anyone who thinks these guys are "heroes" are delusional.
White people protest they go out into the middle of nowhere in the freezing cold and stand around some abandoned shack not interfering with anyone else's life.
BLM protests burning down thier neighborhood, blocking ariports, threatening mall goers and interfering with a Mummers parade or knockout punching a bunch of white folk walking by.
Asian people protest by working three hours longer and opening a second business and taking their kids for a second music lesson.
Very true.
Tylers like the facts.
Nobody hates the Feral Government as much as me, but whose land is this?
Yes, the Government (at ALL levels) owns too much land, but...
Do you believe in property rights or not?
I don't believe the Gov't, ours, or any Gov't, has any Rights. Period.
You are correct. Government has permission to exist as long as they uphold their sworn oaths to protect and uphold the Constitutions. The government has unlawfully by deception turned the tables on their masters and now imply that the people hold allegiance to the government and are subjects of that government.
People should have allegiance to their fellow countrymen and the land of their nation, not to a government. When you merely follow orders you tend to forget your morality and assume the orders come from those that are moral and lawful.
When you pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands that does not mean you pledge allegiance to the Corporate Federal Government in DC.
One thread that seems to be the same on ZH is there are a lot of good people posting here from more than a few countries. Sadlt, probably all of us live under tyranical govts. Merkel the evil traitorous bitch is as bad as the criminals in the USSA.
Facebook and other internet providers work with the German government to censor free speach in Germany.
Didn't 'WE THE PEOPLE' pay for it?
(critical thinking folks)
As government can only obtain property by theft then the only sure thing is that it has no legitimate right to any property whatsoever. Government is like a recidivist criminal with a garage full of other people's belongings. You can't be sure to whom the booty belongs but you know it doesn't belong to the thief.
Here's another theft of Oregon property of a private Canadian company working through the Bad MFer's at BLM. Wyden was against this (was an election year) then he flip/flopped and declared this would be good for Ukraine after the regime change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CexT5eljv6c LNG goes through 460 watersheds.
The terminal proposed build site is on a sand dune 900ft from an airport in a quake fault zone just down the beach from where the New Carissa crashed...a total diasaster in the making. (New Carissa crash)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRlnXw2whmI
You can see why Oregonians are pissed off as the Govt. disses any regard for property rights and human safety. Right now one of the main highways if rescue crews were needed is closed off...
http://kpic.com/news/local/odot-a-couple-factors-caused-hwy-42-landslide
Oregonians are sick of having FED, BLM enforced UN Agenda 21 stuffed down their throats! None of this is good for the US citizens!!!
PLUS...I am terribly annoyed that the NAVY is flying those EA-18Growlers and intimidating the OR coast by buzzing us at 6am!!
I feel strange about property rights. I believe people have the right to own land in the get the fuck off my land sense if the land is being used. I don't believe it's right to own land you have no intent on using other than to loan it out to people who do need it. That's inefficient and bullshit whether it's private enterprise or government. It simply sucks money away from the local economy for little to no benefit.
I have determined that you are not using your property to its full advantage and therefore I am taking it in the name of fair play as is my duty and my right.
The gloves were already off for these guys. They did time for the controlled burning of bush which prevents wildfires, a technique used the world over. It's actually negligent of the government to fail to carry out such measures and they should be grateful that they didn't get an invoice for the work. To turn around and put the guys in jail for what they did is insanity. Against this background it's not rational to start talking about the letter of the law, because whilst you're busily engaged in polite intellectual debate about the subtletiies of case history, they'll just squeeze your b*ll*cks as hard as they can with clamps. It's time for action, talking was yesterday.
I agree, but make sure you are in an advantageous position first. With likely agent provacs in this case I wonder if this is the right time.
You know the government is controlled by corporate interests. The government today is by their people and for their people.
Federal Wildlife Refuge Office today, the White House tomorrow...?
Please read the US Constitution and prepare a report on the types of land it has the authority to own.
Before the civil war as a state entered the union the Feds had to surrender fed territory to that state per the constitution . After the civil war they ignored that as states were added
This is BLM land, so accessible to all US citizens.
I'd say these guys had some legal advice before doing this, they know what they can get away with legally, or with minimal repercussions. They want the Feds to do something stupid here, like try to force them off.
Really says something about journalistic integrity of the reporters on this one. Theyre trying to make it sound like these guys came in guns blazing.
This one could end ugly. Just like Waco.
The gun is no problem, keeping enough ammo in supply is the problem
reinvent yourself and your culture. everything changes over time. Remember the land originally belonged to the native Americans before the white man took it from them. now its time for another power to take the land
Im so sick of this fucking argument. I get Spaniards were white, but did fucking germany and finland take the land? Fuck off
They owned everywhere the buffalo shit, and the shit for fires and the buffalo for meat.
Even still, they were fucked over by carpetbaggers, too.
The Native Americans did not believe in Private property. They felt you could not own the land. Fine, then you shouldn't mind if we do.
And people that think like you have this 1970's mindset that all Native Americans were peaceful tribes, living in harmony.
There was a reason they were called fucking savages. It's because they were fucking savages.
I'd small pox hadn't wiped out the indigenous population in the years prior to North American colonization, hey would have kicked the white man's ass back across the ocean.
The strong generally prevail.
Might doesn't make right. It only makes reality. Can you say asset forfeiture and genocide?
Well I get the Billy Jack (read reviews on Amazon for a laugh) 1970s indian victim mentality but I do not see American Indians killing hundreds of thousands of Christian Iraqis and Syrians and non-Christians from both countries for what? Because they are terrorists of some other lie?
Mission accomplished and all that bullshit. One f**king scam and genocide after another and don't forget LBJ's genocide in IndoChina. All about $$$, drug running (hundreds of billions), oil, nat gas, gold or anything else they can steal. Ditto Afghanistan.
You HAVE to read this. WOW.
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/01/03/full-story-on-whats-going...
EDIT/UPDATE: HONEYPOT-FALSE FLAG WARNING. POTENTIAL AGENT PROVOCATEUR ACTION.
The more that I chew on this, the more that I am becoming convinced that the timing stinks.
.Cesear.Tyranny.gov just had a peach fall into its lap with this incident. And consider this.
1. Oathkeepers are warning everyone to stay away from this.
https://www.oathkeepers.org/
https://www.oathkeepers.org/oregon-standoff-federal-provocateurs-sociopa...
2. The Hammond family does not want anything to do with this.
ibid, see above link.
3. The 3%'ers, which are generally the voice of the militias, are warning their people to stay away from this, AND, several of their spokemen are suggesting that it is a honeypot, and a pysop.
http://waronguns.blogspot.nl/2016/01/3-of-oregon-official-press-release....
This stinks of 4th generation warfare, where the target is the narrow space between the ears of of the average American. This is a peach that fell into the lap of Herr Direcktor Hussein, HNIC, for the purpose of executive action against military-style weapons.