The armed activists occupying a national wildlife refuge in southeastern OR said Tuesday that they plan to hold a community meeting this week to explain themselves and inform residents when they will leave.
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The group tore down a stretch of government-erected fence near the refuge Monday to give a local rancher access to the range.
JIM URQUHART/REUTERS The Oregon militia group, led by Ammon Bundy, have been occupying the federal building since January 2.
“What’s going down at the federal refuge is being handled by the FBI”, Ward said in the statement.
“I know that there are people I go to church with, they don’t speak to us any more”, a resident said.
“We will take that offer”, Bundy said on Friday.
Jewell said federal agencies have partnered well in the past with communities in Harney County and elsewhere in the West.
Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward also spoke at Monday night’s meeting that the Bundys might continue to break further rules but their time is running out.
Photos taken by OPB from inside the refuge showing the occupiers sitting at government computers with the lights and apparently the heat turned on (the occupiers aren’t wearing coats) have created a growing outcry from former federal land managers. Many in the local citizenry are openly skeptical of the militants’ gesture toward opening up federal lands, and the local-not federal-authorities want to bill Mr. Bundy $70,000 a day to cover the county’s security costs during the occupation.
It started out as a protest against the sentencing of Dwight Hammond and his son Steven, two ranchers convicted of arson on federal lands in Oregon.
They’re angry and they want the armed protesters to get out.
The frustrated county judge said that the bills will serve to remind the community of the added burdens of illegal occupation by the Bundy family.
“I will not work for government or a person that I do not believe in or have faith in”, Briels said, joining the occupiers at a Wednesday news briefing at the refuge.
VeneKlasen and others from New Mexico and across the country say they won’t stand for that. Smart move! Peltier says, “Keep sending stupid s**t, it’s gonna turn a dime for them”.
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Rep. Dallas Heard met with the group Saturday despite local officials asking that he not meet with them.
