Large Group Of Armed Militia Members Take Over Federal Building

[srshkmr]

CREDIT: CACOPHONY

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, which was seized by a group of militia on Saturday, January 2, 2016

Share8,294
Tweet
A large group of armed militia members have broken into and occupied a federal building in Oregon. The group reportedly includes three sons of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who had a tense standoff with federal officials in 2014.


Radical militia members from across the country descended on Harney County, Oregon today toprotest the conviction of two local ranchers for arson on federal land. They claim “that the federal government had no authority in Harney County.” The militia occupying the headquarters building at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a splinter group from the larger protest. The gambit seems intended “to provoke a standoff with the federal government.”

In a phone interview with the Oregonian, Ammond Bundy said that “would not rule out violence if law enforcement tries to remove them.” He called the headquarters building “the tool to do all the tyranny that has been placed upon the Hammonds” and said he was “planning on staying…for years.” In a message on Facebook Bundy said he planned on establishing the facility as a base for militia members across the country:


Cliven Bundy is also advising the local ranchers, Steven and Dwight Hammond, not to submit to federal authorities as required on Monday. Instead, Bundy is urging them to go to the Harney County jail and ask for “protective custody.”





Meanwhile, Cliven’s son Ammon is reportedly rallying other militia members to join the occupation.







In an ominous sign, one member of the group, Jon Ritzheimer, posted a goodbye video to his family on YouTube today. “I want to die a free man,” Ritzheimer says.

UPDATE JAN 2, 2016 11:16 PM
A photo of the scene by Guardian reporter Jason Wilson:

Large Group Of Armed Militia Members Take Over Federal Building | ThinkProgress

 

[CHD]

CREDIT: CACOPHONY

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, which was seized by a group of militia on Saturday, January 2, 2016

Share8,294
Tweet
A large group of armed militia members have broken into and occupied a federal building in Oregon. The group reportedly includes three sons of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who had a tense standoff with federal officials in 2014.


Radical militia members from across the country descended on Harney County, Oregon today toprotest the conviction of two local ranchers for arson on federal land. They claim “that the federal government had no authority in Harney County.” The militia occupying the headquarters building at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a splinter group from the larger protest. The gambit seems intended “to provoke a standoff with the federal government.”

In a phone interview with the Oregonian, Ammond Bundy said that “would not rule out violence if law enforcement tries to remove them.” He called the headquarters building “the tool to do all the tyranny that has been placed upon the Hammonds” and said he was “planning on staying…for years.” In a message on Facebook Bundy said he planned on establishing the facility as a base for militia members across the country:


Cliven Bundy is also advising the local ranchers, Steven and Dwight Hammond, not to submit to federal authorities as required on Monday. Instead, Bundy is urging them to go to the Harney County jail and ask for “protective custody.”





Meanwhile, Cliven’s son Ammon is reportedly rallying other militia members to join the occupation.







In an ominous sign, one member of the group, Jon Ritzheimer, posted a goodbye video to his family on YouTube today. “I want to die a free man,” Ritzheimer says.

UPDATE JAN 2, 2016 11:16 PM
A photo of the scene by Guardian reporter Jason Wilson:

Large Group Of Armed Militia Members Take Over Federal Building | ThinkProgress

not jew or christian terrorists just some armed militia no big deal

 

[srshkmr]

not jew or christian terrorists just some armed militia no big deal

Its in the land of pure Angels and Democracy . There are no Extremists or Terrorists just some armed militia who are protesting peacefully by taking over a federal building

 

[IceCold]

not jew or christian terrorists just some armed militia no big deal

There are only Muslim terrorists, rest are all poor misguided souls.

 

[Adecypher]

I hope sanity will prevail...
@srshkmr , @Gamer-X , @IceCold
Similar sentiments have been echoed in the comments section under this story on Huffington Post.

 

[Star Wars]

I hope sanity prevails. Any armed confrontation will endup in a disaster

 

[Providence]

Any armed faggotry should be sliced with a sledgehammer. PERIOD !

 

[VCheng]

Any armed faggotry should be sliced with a sledgehammer. PERIOD !

This incident is being blown out of proportion by Murrikahaters. It will take much more than a few frontiersmen taking over an office shed in a wildlife refuge to create a revolution.

Ammon Bundy, Militia Members Occupy Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon - NBC News


JAN 3 2016, 5:24 AM ET
Ammon Bundy, Militia Members Occupy Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon
by CASSANDRA VINOGRAD, GEMMA DICASIMIRRO and ANDREW RUDANSKY


A group of militiamen occupied a federal building at an Oregon wildlife refuge late Saturday and vowed to stay there indefinitely to protest rancher rights.

The standoff came after protesters and militia members converged on the small town of Burns to show support for a pair of ranchers jailed on an arson conviction, according to NBC affiliate KTVZ.

After a march and rally there, a small group then took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters about 60 miles away.

Ammon Bundy — son of Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher known for his 2014 standoff with the federal government — was among them.

After issuing a Dec. 31 video message urging "patriots" to "stand up" and report to the refuge, Bundy said in a new video posted to Facebook late Saturday that his group was there and prepared to stay for "as long as it takes."

"We're prepared to be out here for as long as needs be," Bundy said in the video posted on Facebook. "Once they can use these lands as free men then we will have accomplished what we came to accomplish."

He stressed the protest was peaceful, saying his group poses "no threat to anybody."

The FBI said it was aware of the situation but declined to comment further. NBC News was unable to reach local officials for further comment.

The case which sparked the initial protest involves Dwight Hammond, 73, and his son Steven, 46, who set fires that spread to government lands they leased to graze cattle.

The Hammonds — who said they lit fires in 2001 and 2006 to reduce the growth of invasive plants and protect their property from wildfires — were convicted and served time for arson. However a judge later ruled their sentences — three months for the father, one year for the son — were too short and ordered them back to prison.

The Hammonds are due to report to jail on Monday, according to KTVZ.

 

[Adecypher]

Militia Group Takes Over Federal Building in Eastern Oregon Because “The Lord Was Not Pleased”
Anti-government militia member releases video pledging to drive to Oregon: "I want to die a free man."

Ammon Bundy (YouTube)

By Aaron Mesh
Updated January 2 at 10:06 PM
Published January 2 at 6:40 PM
A group of anti-government militia members have occupied the headquarters and visitors center of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Ore., apparently seeking to provoke a standoff with the federal government.

Several of the right-wing militia members are sons of Cliven Bundy, a Nevada cattle rancher whose fight with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management sparked an armed confrontation with federal officials in 2014.

Militia members have been traveling to the town of Burns, Ore. in recent weeks in support of Harney County rancher Dwight Hammond, Jr. and his son Steven Hammond, who in 2012 were convicted of arson for setting fires on federal land where they had poached deer. (The wildfires burned 139 acres of Bureau of Land Management property in 2001.)

In October, a federal judge sentenced the pair to five years in prison.

The Oregonian reported earlier this week on escalating tensions as the Hammonds' prison date approached.

JJ MacNab, who has covered right-wing extremists for Forbes magazine, first reported this afternoon that militia members had seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. They appear to be led by Ammon Bundy, one of Cliven's sons.

The building that Bundy and his cohorts have occupied is this headquarters and visitors center 30 miles south of Burns. It was closed for the weekend.

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. (Wikipedia)
In a YouTube video released Dec. 31, Ammon Bundy says that God directed him to go to Oregon, a state he had never visited before.

"I began to understand how the Lord felt about the Hammonds," Bundy says in the video. "I began to understand how the Lord felt about Harney County and about this country. And I clearly understood that the Lord was not pleased with what was happening to the Hammonds… If we allowed the Hammonds to continue to be punished, there would be accountability."

In another video, also posted Dec. 31, militia member John Ritzheimer bids farewell to his family as he prepares to drive to Oregon, where he says he is "100 percent willing to lay my life down in order to fight tyranny."

Ritzheimer then directly addresses Dwight Hammond, Jr., the convicted arsonist rancher.
"It's real simple, Dwight: Do you want to die in prison, labeled as a terrorist by these oppressors?" he asks. "Or do you want to die out here with us, as a free man? I want to die a free man."

UPDATE, 10:02 pm: Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that the number of militia members in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters is likely between six and 12 people. (The Bundys and militia media have claimed between 100 and 150 men are holding the building.)

Meanwhile, The Oregonian's Les Zaitz reports that Harney County has shut down its schools for the week.

 

[A.M.]

 

[Zibago]

Oregon occupation? Call it a 'Y'all Qaeda' attack, say Internet users


Oregon occupation? Call it a 'Y'all Qaeda' attack, say Internet users - CNN.com

 

[Politico]

no bombs going of , no random killings of muslims or non-believers of there cause, no wild street killings or shooting of disabled people, no making stupid calls 2 there god saying the unbelievers are occuping there lands, no beheadings or civilian casualities..2 all my ignorant muslim brothers and sisters on forum, they r not terrorists they r armed protestors

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Leader of armed protesters in Oregon took out $530,000 federal loan

Ammon Bundy took out $530,000 federal loan - CNN.com


Oh that pesky government always interfering.....

 

[Aepsilons]

Leader of armed protesters in Oregon took out $530,000 federal loan

Ammon Bundy took out $530,000 federal loan - CNN.com


Oh that pesky government always interfering.....

Interesting. For what, i wonder ? Seriously ?

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Interesting. For what, i wonder ? Seriously ?

2010 Small business...no bank would give him the money I guess.