Armed occupation
protests federal 'tyranny'
Rural Oregon wildlife refuge site of militia showdown
Protesting the jailing of a 73-year-old rancher and his
son, some 100 armed militia men took over a federal building in rural western
Oregon and say they will occupy is “as long as it takes” to stop what they see
as federal “tyranny.”
Organizers, who include Ammon Bundy and two other sons of
a Nevada rancher who battled the government in 2014, are calling on
reinforcements from around the country and say they will defend themselves.
The site of the protest is the Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge near Burns,
Oregon, about 280 miles east of Portland.
It was touched off by the planned imprisonment on Monday of Dwight Hammond Jr.
and Steven Hammond, who were prosecuted for a controlled burn of 130 acres of
leased federal land they claimed was to stop the spread of invasive plants. The
burn took place in 2001. Prosecutors said the fire was set to hide poaching.
Each of the ranchers face five years in prison.
"We will be here as long as it takes," said
Ammon Bundy, a spokesman for the group and the son of Cliven Bundy, a Nevada rancher who clashed with the feds two years ago.
"We have no intentions of using force upon anyone,
(but) if force is used against us, we would defend ourselves," Ammon Bundy
said while issuing a broad appeal for others to come join the occupation in a
show of support.
The occupation came shortly after 300 marchers paraded through Burns in support of the Hammonds.
The tense situation now involves the Oregon State Police, the Harney County Sheriff's Office and
the FBI. Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward told people to stay away from the
building as authorities work to defuse the situation.
"A collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a
solution," said ward. "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."
On his Facebook page Ammon Bundy said "this is not a
time to stand down. It's a time to stand up and come to Harney County."
He told reporters late Saturday that the group was
occupying the government building because "the people have been abused
long enough.
"I feel we are in a situation where if we do not do
something, if we do not take a hard stand, we'll be in a position where we'll
be no longer able to do so," he said.
"The facility has been the tool to do all the
tyranny that has been placed upon the Hammonds," Ammon Bundy said.
The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
It had been closed and unoccupied over the holiday weekend.
Cliven Bundy told Oregon Public Broadcasting on Saturday
night that he was not involved in the takeover. He said his sons felt obligated
to intervene on behalf of the Hammonds.
"That's not exactly what I thought should happen,
but I didn't know what to do," he said. "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."
He said his son Ammon told him they were there for the
long run.
Dwight Hammond has said he and his son plan to peacefully report to prison
Monday as ordered by the judge.
The 73-year-old rancher and his 46-year-old son claim
they lit the fires in 2001 and 2006 to reduce the growth of invasive plants and
protect their property from wildfires. The two were convicted of the arsons
three years ago and served time — the father three months, the son one year.
But a judge ruled their terms were too short under federal law and ordered them
back to prison for about four years each.
This will become a base place for patriots from all over
the country to come and be housed here," said Aaron Bundy, standing on a
snowy road. "And we're planning on staying here for several years."
The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was established on
August 18, 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt "as a preserve and
breeding ground for native birds," according to the park's website.
"The Refuge represents a crucial stop along the
Pacific Flyway and offers resting, breeding, and nesting habitat for hundreds
of migratory birds and other wildlife," a statement on the site says.
"Many of the species migrating through or breeding here are highlighted as
priority species in national bird conservation plans."
"We are not hurting anybody or damaging any
property," Ammon Bundy told Oregon Public Broadcasting. "We would
expect that they understand that we have given them no reason to use lethal
force upon us or any other force."
Watch video statement by Ammon Bundy
Bundy said they will be "bringing the lands up and
getting the ranchers back to ranching and the miners back to mining, putting the
loggers back to logging, where they could do it under the protection of the
people, and not be afraid of this tyranny that has been upon them."
"Harney County will begin to thrive again," he
said, noting it used to be the wealthiest county in the state and is now the
poorest.
"We're doing this for the people," Bundy said.
"We're the point of the spear," urging people to "come out here
and stand" with them. He said they have a place to stay and food to offer,
adding: "We need you to bring your arms."
In response to the takeover, local authorities in Burns
have announced schools will be closed for the next week.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service is a division of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Note: Sally Jewell is
the secretary for the U.S. Department of
the Interior, and the chair for the National
Park Foundation.
Police State USSA: Feds Vs
Rancher Face Off (PAST RESEARCH ON THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION)
Monday, April 7, 2014
Vietnam Veterans Memorial (PAST
RESEARCH ON THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION)
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Kenneth L. Salazar
was the chairman for the National Park
Foundation, and the secretary for the U.S.
Department of the Interior for the Barack
Obama administration.
Dirk A. Kempthorne
was the secretary for the U.S.
Department of the Interior, and a chairman for the National Park Foundation.
Bryan Traubert is a director at the National Park Foundation, and married to Penny S. Pritzker.
Bryan Traubert is a director at the National Park Foundation, and married to Penny S. Pritzker.
Penny S. Pritzker
is married to Bryan Traubert, a
member of the Commercial Club of
Chicago, the secretary at the U.S.
Department of Commerce for the Barack Obama administration, was the national finance chair, fundraiser
for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential
campaign, a co-chair for the 2009
Barack Obama inaugural committee, a fundraiser, national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign,
a contributor for the 2013 Barack Obama
inaugural committee, the host for the Barack
Obama fund-raising dinner, 7/2/2008, and Craig M. Robinson’s basketball coach for the children's team.
Craig M. Robinson’s
basketball coach for his children's team was Penny S. Pritzker, was the men's basketball team coach at Oregon
State University, and is Michelle
Obama’s brother.
Jane Lubchenco
was a professor at Oregon State University, an administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration for the Barack Obama administration, a director at
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and is a trustee at the Environmental
Defense Fund.
Environmental
Defense Fund is a member of the U.S.
Climate Action Partnership.
Natural
Resources Defense Council is a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, and the Reality Coalition.
Open
Society Foundations was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
George
Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, and was the chairman for the Foundation
to Promote Open Society.
Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Climate Reality Project, and the Brookings Institution (think tank).
National
Wildlife Federation is a partner with the Reality Coalition.
Larry
J. Schweiger is a director at the Climate Reality Project, a trustee at the H. John Heinz III Center for
Science, Economics and the Environment, and was the president & CEO for
the National Wildlife Federation.
Teresa Heinz
Kerry is the vice chair for the H.
John Heinz III Center for Science,
Economics and the Environment, is married to John F. Kerry, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
John
F. Kerry is married to Teresa Heinz
Kerry, the secretary at the U.S.
Department of State for the Barack
Obama administration, and is Cameron
F. Kerry’s brother.
Cameron F. Kerry
is John F. Kerry’s brother, a fellow
at the Brookings Institution (think tank),
and was an associate at Wilmer Cutler
Pickering Hale and Dorr, and a general counsel; acting secretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Kenneth L. Salazar
is a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering
Hale and Dorr, was the chairman for the National Park Foundation, and the secretary for the U.S. Department of the Interior for the
Barack Obama administration.
Dirk A. Kempthorne
was the secretary for the U.S.
Department of the Interior, and a chairman for the National Park Foundation.
Bryan Traubert
is a director at the National Park
Foundation, and married to Penny S.
Pritzker.
Penny S. Pritzker
is married to Bryan Traubert, the
secretary at the U.S. Department of
Commerce for the Barack Obama administration, a member
of the Commercial Club of Chicago, was the national finance chair, fundraiser
for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential
campaign, a co-chair for the 2009
Barack Obama inaugural committee, a fundraiser, national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign,
a contributor for the 2013 Barack Obama
inaugural committee, the host for the Barack
Obama fund-raising dinner, 7/2/2008, and Craig M. Robinson’s basketball coach for the children's team.
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