Protesters Take Over Government Building on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon

Jun 20, 2021

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/559339-man-who-led-armed-occupation-of-federal-refuge-announces-run-for-idaho

Jul 10, 2018

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/396273-trump-pardons-oregon-ranchers-at-center-of-40-day-standoff

Jan 8, 2018

In Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro dismissed the case against the Bundy's and Ryan Payne citing "flagrant misconduct" and "substantial prejudice" by federal prosecutors. Navarro dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning prosecutors cannot seek a new trial.

Dec 20, 2017

In Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro declared a mistrial in the case against the Bundy's (Cliven, Ryan, and Ammon) and Ryan Payne.

Judge Navarro cited a failure of federal prosecutors to turn over all evidence to defense attorneys, including records regarding the conduct of FBI and Bureau of Land Management agents during the standoff in 2014.

Nov 14, 2017

In Las Vegas, Nevada, opening statements were made in the trial of Cliven Bundy, Ryan Bundy and Ammon Bundy (Cliven's sons), and Ryan Payne.

All four are charged with conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, conspiracy to impede and injure a federal officer, extortion, and other charges.

The charges stem from a tense standoff with federal law enforcement near Bunkerville, Nevada in 2014.

Oct 27, 2016

In Portland, Oregon, Ammon Bundy, his brother Ryan, and five others charged with federal conspiracy were found not guilty. Ammon and Ryan Bundy will remain in custody over charges they face in Nevada.

Sep 13, 2016

In Portland, Oregon, the trial began for Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, and five others charged with federal conspiracy.

Mar 8, 2016

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating five unnamed FBI agents in the shooting death of Robert "LaVoy" Finicum. The concern is that two additional shots that were fired (neither of which hit Finicum) were not disclosed by agents, and some of the agents may have been involved in a cover up.

Feb 24, 2016

Ten of the original 16 people indicted by a grand jury on February 3 appeared in court and entered pleas of not guilty.

Feb 11, 2016

Forty-one days after the standoff began, the four remaining occupiers of the government building on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge surrendered peacefully. David Fry (of the Cincinnati, Ohio area), Jeff Banta (of Elko, Nevada), Sean Anderson and his wife, Sandy (of Riggins, Idaho) all face the same federal conspiracy charge as the others already in custody.

The four told federal authorities they had set booby-traps before surrendering but gave no further details.

Feb 3, 2016

A federal grand jury indicted Ammon Bundy and 15 others (including the four remaining occupiers at the refuge) on a charge of conspiracy to impede federal officers through intimidation, threats, or force.

Feb 2, 2016

In a statement entitled SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT FROM THE LAVOY FINICUM FAMILY dated February 2, 2016, the family of Robert "LaVoy" Finicum makes the case that the shooting of Robert "LaVoy" Finicum was unjustified and it accuses the FBI and Oregon State Police of a cover-up. The family's statement is a result of further review of surveillance footage of the shooting and an eye-witness account from Shawna Cox who was present in Finicum's vehicle at the time of the shooting.

According to the statement:

  • A statement made by Mark McConnell (who the statement claims might actually be an undercover agent, or who may have been bribed) that at some point LaVoy "charged" toward officers is completely false because he wasn't at the scene of the shooting
  • Shots were fired at Finicum's vehicle prior to him exiting his vehicle and being shot
  • Finicum's awkward hand and arm movements moments before he fell to the ground may have been due to him receiving a gunshot wound prior to the final shots
  • Immediately after the shooting federal agents and police "unleashed a barrage of gunfire" on Finicum's vehicle, still occupied by Shawna Cox, Victoria Sharp, and Ryan Payne (wounded by the gunfire)
  • Finicum received no medical attention and remained on the ground in the snow for quite some time

Feb 1, 2016

At the Harney County Courthouse in Burns about 500 protesters assembled. About 300 of the protesters demonstrated for the occupation to end. About 200 protestors, organized by a patriot group from Idaho, demonstrated to support the ongoing occupation (only four protesters remain at the government building on the refuge). The protest lasted about four hours.

Jan 29, 2016

The family of Robert "LaVoy" Finicum challenged the FBI's account of Finicum's shooting. A woman who was at the scene, Victoria Sharp, made a statement saying Finicum was not threatening authorites when he was shot. After the shooting officers found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun in Finicum's pocket.

Jan 28, 2016

The FBI released helicopter surveillance footage of Robert "LaVoy" Finicum's fatal shooting on January 26.

In the footage you see Finicum standing between two officers which are on opposite sides of him (an estimated 15-20 feet from Finicum). Finicum is seen for the most part stationary, but turning about, at one point seeming to put both of his hands up part way then immediately pulling them back into his body and possibly going into the pockets of his jacket, then turning and raising one arm up and out to his side, then bringing that arm back into his body, at which point an officer steps a bit closer and shoots Finicum.

Finicum is standing at about a 90-degree angle to the officer and appears to have both hands in his jacket pockets (at least near his body and not up in the air) when he is shot.

Because the footage was shot at a distance, it's difficult to make out exactly what Finicum was doing with his hands just before he was shot.

Jan 27, 2016

Jason Patrick, (of Bonaire, Georgia), the leader of the remaining protesters at the refuge building, was arrested at a checkpoint nears Burns outside the refuge. Duane Leo Ehmer (of Irrigon, Oregon) and Dylan Wade Anderson (of Provo, Utah) were taken into custody by the FBI. All three men were charged with conspiracy to impede federal officers of the United States from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats, a felony.

Ammon Bundy released a statement which was read by his attorney, Lissa Casey of Arnold Law, outside the U.S. District Court in Portland, Oregon. In the statement Bundy said:

Turn yourselves in and do not use physical force. Use the national platform we have to continue to defend liberty through our constitutional rights in an Article 3 Court with an Article 3 judge.

I am committed to freedom not force. Freedom not force. We are done with the culture of force. We are done with the government pointing guns at us to enforce their will upon the people. This is not liberty. This is not America.

I want to make sure the American people understand that we have a duty in our situation to further the defense of our God given rights.

The world is listening. We will use the criminal discovery process to obtain information and government records. We will continue to educate the American people of the injustices that are taking place. We can do this through an Article 3 Court in front of an Article 3 judge. This is the Constitution. And it is ours to use and we will use it.

Read Bundy's entire statement here.

Jan 26, 2016

Five of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupiers were arrested when the FBI and Oregon state police stopped vehicles about 20 miles north of Burns. The occupiers were en route to the town of John Day, Oregon for a community meeting where several hundred had gathered. Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, who was also at the scene, was shot and killed by Oregon State Police.

Those arrested include Ryan Bundy who suffered a minor gunshot wound (of Bunkerville, Nevada), Ammon Bundy (of Emmett, Idaho), Ryan W. Payne (of Anaconda, Montana), Brian Cavalier (of Bunkerville, Nevada), and Shawna J. Cox (of Kanab, Utah). All were charged with conspiracy to impede federal officers of the United States from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats, a felony.

In Burns, Oregon State Police arrested Joseph D. O'Shaughnessy (of Cottonwood, Arizona), and Pete Santilli (of Cincinnati, Ohio) on conspiracy charges of impeding federal officers. Jon Ritzheimer (of Arizona) surrendered to police in Arizona and faces the same conspiracy charge.

Other protesters still occupy the government building on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Jan 24, 2016

Nine ranchers in two states renounced their Malheur National Wildlife Refuge land grazing permits.

Jan 22, 2016

Hoping to meet face to face with Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward, Ammon Bundy arrived at the Harney County Courthouse in Burns. Instead of meeting with Ward, Bundy was stopped at a security checkpoint outside the county courthouse by Lieutenant Brian Needham, who was accompanied by Malheur County Sheriff Brian Wolfe.

Bundy talked briefly to Needham, questioning whether the FBI has the legal authority to be in Harney country and to be involved in the refuge dispute. Needham told Bundy that local and federal authorities are working together. Needham also told Bundy that Ward did give the FBI authority. When Bundy asked if he could see that in writing, Needham responded "No".

Jan 21, 2016

At a press conference in Roseburg, Oregon, Oregon Governor Kate Brown expressed her frustration with the refuge occupation and the inaction by federal officials to end it. Brown said the occupation has cost Oregon taxpayers nearly $500,000, a cost for which she will seek reimbursement from the federal government.

Jan 19, 2016

At a community meeting in the Burns High School gymnasium, many residents vented their anger at public officials, the federal government, and at Ammon Bundy (who was at the meeting). Some residents also stated their displeasure with the fact that the Hammond brothers had to serve additional time, claiming "an overreaching federal government". Ammon Bundy and his brother Ryan did not speak at the meeting.

Jan 16, 2016

The Burns Paiute Tribe accused the refuge occupiers of damaging important cultural resources and they are seeking criminal charges against the group. There are over 4,000 tribal artifacts housed and cared for on the refuge, as well as 300 prehistoric sites (burial grounds and ancient villages).

Jan 15, 2016

The meeting scheduled for yesterday was cancelled over a dispute about location.

Ryan Payne, a key leader of the refuge occupation, said he wants a process to start where all federal land across the entire U.S. is returned to the original owners. He also wants Dwight and Steven Hammond released from prison immediately.

Payne's request affects the entire 187,000 acres of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, as well as over 3 million acres of additional land across the U.S.

The occupiers have coined the name "Citizens for Constitutional Freedom" for their group and cause.

A protest against the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge took place at Riverfront Plaza in Downtown Bend. Protesters held signs that read "Birders against bullies".

Jan 12, 2016

Yesterday, the armed occupiers of the government building on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge removed a barbed wire fence they claim was keeping a rancher from grazing cattle on publicly owned land.

Concerned over safety, last week Harney County closed its public schools.

Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, a spokesman for the protesters, said the protesters will hold a community meeting this Friday in Burns to explain to residents why the protesters are doing what they are doing and when they plan to leave.

Jan 8, 2016

In an article in The Washington Post entitled "I’m an Oregon rancher. Here’s what you don’t understand about the Bundy standoff.", Oregon rancher manager Keith Nantz said the following:

While I don'’t agree with the occupiers' tactics, I sympathize with their position. Being a rancher was always challenging. And it has become increasingly difficult under the Obama administration.

The federal government controls a huge amount of land in the west (more than 50 percent in some states, like Oregon), and many ranchers must lease that space to create a sustainable operation.

Utilizing federal land requires ranchers to follow an unfair, complicated and constantly evolving set of rules [for example, changing the number of days cattle can graze to protect vegetation, limiting the amount of water ranchers can use, or acquiring new land and imposing a new set of rules].

Most of the time, those regulations are written by people with no agriculture experience, and little understanding of what it takes to produce our nation's food. The agencies that control these lands can add burdensome regulations at any time. Often, they will begin aggressively enforcing them before ranchers have a chance to adjust.

Officials are effectively regulating us out of business by enforcing a string of unprecedented environmental restrictions.

It's not that I don’t care what the environmental community wants. In every part of my business, I try to find a balance between economics, mother nature and our culture. I know that if we don’t treat our land properly, we will go out of business by our own hands. It is of utmost importance for us to be true conservationists if we want to continue producing the most nutritious and safest protein in the world. But all too often, I'm not given the autonomy to do so. I'm given rules, not a conversation about how ranchers and government officials and environmentalists might be able to work together. That's an approach that fails everyone.

Jan 4, 2016

Two days ago, after a peaceful rally and march, a small group of protesters took over and occupied a government building on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County near Burns, Oregon. The protesters are led by Ammon Bundy, the son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy who is well-known for anti-government actions in the past.

Ammon Bundy's brother Ryan said the militiamen who are protesting are "willing to kill and be killed if necessary".

The protest is partly in support of Dwight and Steven Hammond, father-and-son ranchers who were convicted of arson in 2012, but more broadly speaking the protest is about:

  • Claims by some ranchers that the U.S. government is violating their constitutional rights
  • Claims by some ranchers that the U.S. government is, and has been for over 100 years, unfairly claiming ranchers land and resources and expanding the acreage of the refuge at the expense of ranchers and miners
  • A perceived lack of understanding by the U.S. government of ranchers needs and operations, and a lack of good land management by the U.S. government

Dwight and Steven Hammond were convicted of setting fires on the refuge land (supposedly to remove invasive vegetation). In one of the fires, prosecutors claimed that the Hammonds set the fire to cover up poaching (supposedly, a small group of deer was killed, and the fire was set to destroy evidence of the kill). The Hammonds were sentenced to five years in prison (they arrived at prison today to serve out the remainder of their sentence), and there is controversy as to whether five years is a fair and just sentence for the acts they carried out (an appellate court ruled they must serve out their entire five-year sentence).

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was created by President Theodore Roosevelt over 100 years ago. The refuge is home to over 320 species of birds.

Source:

Fantz, Ashle; Sutton, Joe; Yan, Holly. (January 4, 2016). "Armed group's leader in federal building: 'We will be here as long as it takes'". CNN. Retrieved 2016-01-11.

Parks, Randy. (January 6, 2016). "Protest turns to occupation". Burns Times-Herald. Retrieved 2016-01-11.

Rein, Lisa. (January 5, 2016). "The Oregon refuge occupied by Bundy is one of the first wildlife sanctuaries in the U.S.". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-01-11.

Baumann, Nick; Bobic, Igor; Schulburg, Jessica. (January 2, 2016). "Gunmen Seize Federal Building In Oregon". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-01-25.

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