Armed protesters, who authorities say are coming from outside the area, took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge south of Burns on Saturday after participating in a peaceful rally over the prison sentences of local ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond.
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The group is occupying part of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns after gathering outside for a demonstration supporting Dwight and Steven Hammond, father-and-son ranchers who were convicted of arson.
Father and son Dwight and Steven Hammond were convicted in 2012 of causing two fires, in 2001 and 2006, that collectively burned more than 100 acres of federally owned land near their own ranch in rural Oregon. They came to contest a judge’s order sending two ranchers back to prison for setting fires on federal land, but they ultimately hope to turn over the property to local authorities so people can use it free of US oversight.
Militiamen led by Ammon Bundy, son of Cliven Bundy, a protest rancher from Nevada, have occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon.
In April, the Bundy family involved itself in a dispute at the Sugar Pine Mine, during which a local miner took up arms against federal agents who said he did not own the surface rights to the land he was mining.
That’s how federal officials defused a high-profile standoff previous year with Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy over grazing rights.
Those occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge centre in Burns say they plan to stay for years and may use violence if police try to evict them.
“That’s not exactly what I thought should happen, but I didn’t know what to do”, he said. The Hammonds also have rebuffed the Bundy’s support. Other members of the Bundy operation went to the border, arguing that if the federal government would not prevent illegal immigration, they would do it themselves.
“We’re not there to do any harm”, the elder Bundy said.
Local sheriff David Ward said the group was working to overthrow the local and federal government.
Ammon said people need to be aware that the government has no respect for people’s constitutional rights.
Militia members came to Burns last month, a small town about 280 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon.
The road leading to the entrance into the wildlife refuge headquarters isn’t blocked off by law enforcement, though the sheriff has advised people to avoid the area. “Fires intentionally and illegally set on public lands, even those in a remote area, threaten property and residents and endanger firefighters called to battle the blaze”, said acting U.S. Attorney Billy Williams in a statement issued after the Hammonds were sentenced, the Post reports. “But you don’t see any of it. They’re keeping a low presence”, Landon said Sunday. It was not clear how many people had occupied the building but those inside have asked for others to join them during several videos posted online. The two were ordered back to prison to serve four years each.
Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward was critical of the protesters and their motives, and advised local residents to stay away from the refuge.
Bundy said officials are unfairly punishing the Hammonds for refusing to sell their land.
Ryan Bundy, Ammon Bundy’s brother, told the Oregonian that the group isn’t holding hostages and doesn’t want to resort to violence but will not rule it out if authorities attempt to remove the occupiers from the property.
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Ryan Bundy told Oregonian reporter Ian Kullgren that the ranchers were “willing to kill and be killed if necessary”. He said that he went to meet with locals in Burns on January 1 before the protests began to recruit them, but they declined his invitation.
