Bundy and his brother Ryan are leading a band of heavily armed men from various militia groups, who have been holed up since Saturday in a number of buildings at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
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Ammon Bundy, the leader of the group, said Friday that his followers and he are not ready to leave even though the sheriff and many locals say the group has overstayed their welcome.
Saturday’s takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge outside the town of Burns, Oregon, was spurred by the imprisonment of two ranchers for setting fires that spread to federal land. Authorities had not yet moved to remove the group of roughly 20 people.
If you remember, the anti-federalist militants say they are occupying the building in support of Dwight and Steven Hammond – two ranchers who were convicted of arson on federal lands. Ward has asked Bundy and the group to leave and go home.
The sheriff of the OR county where armed anti-government activists have occupied federal land asked the protesters to go home Thursday at their first meeting since the confrontation began.
January 6, 2016. Hundreds of Harney County residents attended a community meeting to express frustration and support over an armed anti-government militia group that continues to occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Headquarters.
Bundy said on Tuesday that once the group’s mission was accomplished, they would leave.
Rodrique said she “had to laugh” at the demand, because she knew Bundy was not talking about giving the land to the tribe.
The group of anti-government protesters – which is calling itself Citizens for Constitutional Freedom – believes the Hammonds have been treated unfairly and exposed to double jeopardy for having to serve multiple sentences. Sheriff Ward called on them for a peaceful resolution. Their father, Cliven Bundy, in 2014 led a standoff with federal agents after a two-decade legal dispute over unpaid grazing fees on federal-owned land in Nevada.
“We are not in the least bit ashamed of the actions that we have taken”, Bundy said.
“They are waking people up”, said 80-year-old Merlin Rupp, a long-time local resident.
“This is a good community, a tight community”, he said. “And I could only say this to him: We will take that offer but not yet”.
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While many disagree with the tactics used by the armed occupiers at the wildlife refuge, they say they illustrate mounting frustration over excessive federal government control over local communities. A federal judge ruled in October, though, that their sentences were too short under federal minimum sentencing laws and ordered them both back to prison for four years apiece.
