Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
The headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (pictured here in 2008) was occupied by militias on January 2, 2016.
Date	January 2, 2016 – present
Location	Harney County, Oregon, United States (30 miles south of Burns, Oregon)
Status	Ongoing
Parties
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Oregon State Police Harney County Sheriff's Office Citizens for Constitutional Freedom 3 Percenters Various anti-government protesters
Lead figures
Richard Evans (Oregon State Police) David Ward (Harney County Sheriff) Ammon Bundy LaVoy Finicum Jon Ritzheimer Ryan Payne Blaine Cooper Ryan Bundy
Number
FBI - unknown Oregon State Police - unknown Harney County Sheriff's Office - 5 personnel ~32 personnel from other departments Burns Paiute Tribal Police - unknown 40 (Los Angeles Times estimate) Several dozen (The Washington Post estimate) 20 to 25 (The Oregonian estimate) 150 (militia claim)
Casualties
Arrested	Kenneth Medenbach

On January 2, 2016, armed anti-government members of rump militias occupied the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in protest of the prison sentences for ranchers Dwight Hammond and his son, Steven Hammond. The two were convicted of arson on federal land, were ultimately sentenced to five years imprisonment, and are now seeking clemency from the US president.

Ammon Bundy, a car fleet manager from Phoenix and son of notable anti-government protestor Cliven Bundy and the leader of the group now calling themselves Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, said he began leading the occupation after receiving a divine message ordering him to do so. The militant group has demanded that the federal government cede ownership of the wildlife refuge, and have expressed willingness to engage in armed conflict. For their part, the government and police have not engaged directly with the militia, so as to avoid armed confrontation as was the case in the 1993 Waco siege. The ranchers at the heart of the case have disavowed the militia.

Some see the militia as defenders against federal overreach, while others view them as provocative and dangerous. The takeover has also sparked a debate in the U.S. on the meaning of the word "terrorist" and on how the media and law enforcement treat situations involving people of different ethnicities or religions.

Background

Location

Main articles: Harney County, Oregon and Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Harney County is a rural county in southeastern Oregon. Although it is one of the largest counties in the United States, its population is about 7,700, and cattle outnumber people 14-to-1. About 75 percent of the county's area is federal land, variously managed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Forest Service agencies. Besides ranching and farming, forestry and manufacturing are important industries in the county.

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR), located in Harney County, was established in 1908 by outdoorsman and U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Located in the Pacific Flyway, it has "staggering avian resources" and is "one of the premiere sites for birds and birding in the U.S.", according to the National Audobon Society. Refuge-related tourism, especially birding, injects $15 million into the local economy annually.

Origins of dispute

Cattle ranching in Harney County predates the 1908 establishment of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge with some cattle trails, including those used by the Hammond family, dating to the 1870s. Disputes between cattle ranchers and the federal government over management of the MNWR have gone on for "generations" and the situation has regularly deteriorated to taunts and threats directed at federal officials from ranchers since at least the early 1970s. In an effort to address concerns of neighboring landowners and interests, the recent completion of a 15-year management plan for the refuge heavily involved various stakeholders, including ranchers, in its development process. The plan was completed in 2013 and won praise from some area ranchers for its collaborative approach.

Dwight Hammond, a cattle rancher in Harney County, owns 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) of land, much of which abuts public land. In 1994, Hammond and his son Steve obstructed the construction of a fence to delineate the boundary between the two parcels of property, prompting their arrest by federal agents. According to federal officials, construction of the fence was needed to stop the Hammond cattle from moving along a cattle trail that intersected public land after the Hammonds had repeatedly violated the terms of their permit, which limited when they could move their cows across refuge property. Officials also reported Hammond had made threats against them in 1986 and 1988, including telling one public lands manager that he was going to "tear off his head and shit down his neck". They also contended that Steve Hammond had called them "assholes".

Following their release from jail on recognizance, a rally attended by 500 other cattle ranchers was held in support of the Hammonds in Burns, and then-congressman Robert Freeman Smith wrote a letter of protest to the United States Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt. In 1995 voters, angry that it had not intervened on the Hammonds' behalf, attempted to recall two members of the Harney County Court. The recall attempt failed. Charges against the Hammonds were later dropped.

In 1999, Steve Hammond started a fire with the intent of burning off juniper trees and sagebrush, but the fire escaped onto BLM land. The agency reminded Hammond of the required burn permit and that if the fires continued, there would be legal consequences. Both Dwight and Steve Hammond would later go on to set two additional fires that would lead to arson convictions.

Hammond arson case

In 2012, the Hammonds were tried in federal district court on multiple charges. During a break in jury deliberations a partial verdict was rendered finding the Hammonds not guilty on two of the charges, but convicting them on two counts of arson on federal land. To have the four remaining charges dismissed and any sentences run concurrently, the Hammonds waived the right to appeal their conviction, with knowledge the trial would proceed to sentencing where the prosecution would seek imposition of the mandatory five-year minimum sentence.

The arson convictions related to fires in 2001 and 2006.

• The 2001 Hardie-Hammond Fire began, according to Probation Officer Robb, when hunters in the area witnessed the Hammonds illegally slaughter a herd of deer. Less than two hours later, a fire erupted and forced the hunters to leave the area. Later, Steve's nephew Dusty Hammond testified that his uncle told him to start lighting matches and "light the whole countryside on fire." Dusty also testified that he was "almost burned up in the fire" and had to flee for his life. The Hammonds have claimed they started the fire to stop invasive plants from growing onto their grazing fields.

• The 2006 Krumbo Butte Fire started out as a wildfire, but several illegal backburns were set by the Hammonds with the intent to protect their winter feed. The backfires were set under the cover of night without warning the firefighting camp that was known to be on the slopes above. According to the indictment, the fires threatened to trap four BLM firefighters, one of whom later confronted Dwight Hammond at the fire scene after having moved his crews to avoid the threat. Two days later, according to federal prosecutors, Steve Hammond threatened to frame a BLM employee with arson if he didn't stop the investigation.

At sentencing the federal prosecutors requested the five-year mandatory minimum under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA). U.S. District Judge Michael Robert Hogan independently decided that sentences of that length "would shock the conscience" and would violate the constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. On his last day on the bench, October 31, 2012, Hogan instead sentenced Dwight Hammond to three months' imprisonment and Steve Hammond to a year and a day's imprisonment, which both men served. In what was described by media as a "rare" action, U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall successfully appealed the sentence to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which upheld the mandatory-minimum law, writing that "given the seriousness of arson, a five-year sentence is not grossly disproportionate to the offense." The court vacated the original sentence and remanded for resentencing. The Hammonds filed petitions for certiorari with the Supreme Court, which the court rejected in March 2015. In October 2015, Chief Judge Ann Aiken re-sentenced the pair to five years in prison (with credit for time served), ordering that they return to prison on January 4, 2016. Both of the Hammonds reported to prison in California on January 4 as ordered by the court.

In a separate 2014 civil judgment, the Hammonds were ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution to the U.S. government for the related arson fires. The pair paid half the amount immediately and the remaining $200,000 in December 2015.

Opposition to sentences

Ammon Bundy, pictured here in 2014, began planning the takeover of MNWR in October 2015.

A petition requesting leniency for the Hammonds began circulating prior to their resentencing. Organized by the Oregon Farm Bureau, it had gathered more than 2,000 signatures by October 2015 and the pair's attorney said he hoped it would convince President Barack Obama to grant clemency. Meanwhile, the Oregon Cattlemen's Association, a trade group representing cattle ranchers in Oregon, established a fund to defray the Hammond's legal fees.

In about October 2015, the Hammond case had attracted the attention of Ammon Bundy and Ryan Payne. The pair had been actively looking for a cause to adopt since the conclusion of the Bundy standoff in May 2014. Beginning in early November, Bundy and his associates began publicizing the case via social media. Over the ensuing weeks, Bundy and Payne met for approximately eight hours with Harney County Sheriff David Ward to detail plans for what they described would be a peaceful protest in Burns, as well as also requesting the sheriff's office protect the Hammonds from being taken into custody by federal authorities. Though Ward said he sympathized with the Hammonds' plight, he declined Bundy and Payne's request. Ward said that he subsequently received death threats by email. Unbeknownst to Ward, Bundy and Payne were simultaneously planning a takeover of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. By late fall, local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies had become aware that members of anti-government militias had started to relocate to Harney County, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) began circulating a photograph of Ammon Bundy with instructions for staff to "be on the lookout."

Despite several early meetings with Bundy and Payne, the Hammonds eventually rejected their offers of assistance, with Hammond attorney W. Alan Schroeder writing that "neither Ammon Bundy nor anyone within his group/organization speak for the Hammond family." When later asked about the occupation, Susan Hammond, the wife of Dwight Hammond, was dismissive and said, "I don't really know the purpose of the guys who are out there."

Claimed religious motivation

The leader of the occupation, Ammon Bundy, and some other Oregon militants are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church) and have cited the Mormon scripture as justification for defying government authority. One member of the group told the media that his name is "Captain Moroni," a reference to a heroic warrior figure in the Book of Mormon. After the occupation began, the LDS Church issued a statement, saying that an armed occupation was not sanctioned by the religion (see below). The event was connected with the lengthy and complex history of conflict between Mormons and the federal government; Alex Beam writes that the standoff has its roots in "Mormon religious fanaticism".

People involved

See also: Ammon Bundy, Jon Ritzheimer, and Ryan Payne

Ryan Bundy

Ryan Bundy, 43, is the brother of Ammon Bundy. As he was being arrested in January 2015 in Cedar City, Utah, on a warrant for interfering with a law enforcement officer, Ryan allegedly resisted arrest and was additionally charged.

Blaine Cooper

Blaine Cooper, pictured here in 2014, is among the militia members identified as occupying MNWR.

Stanley Blaine Hicks, known as Blaine Cooper, was a member of the Praetorian Guard, a rump militia based in Arizona, many of whose members are military contractors and active-duty personnel in the U.S. Armed Forces. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps recruit who enlisted through the Delayed Entry Program; according to service records, he did not report for Marine recruit training. In 2013, during a town hall meeting hosted by U.S. Senator John McCain, Cooper called for McCain to be arrested for treason.

LaVoy Finicum

Robert LaVoy Finicum is a neighbor of Cliven Bundy, though he lives in Arizona. Finicum is a rancher whose cattle graze on BLM land, and he maintains that he owns grazing rights on that land through natural law. Finicum is the author of a book entitled Only by Blood and Suffering: Regaining Lost Freedom. The Finicums are foster parents to many children, who have all been removed from their care due to their involvement in the standoff; Finicum complained that this took away his and his wife's main source of income and labor for their ranch. Finicum was dubbed #TarpMan by MSNBC for sitting outside at night in a rocking chair, covered completely in a blue tarp and with a gun in his possession underneath.

Militant occupation

Main article: Timeline of the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Prelude (December 2015 – January 2, 2016)

Ammon Bundy, the leader of the group now calling themselves Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, said he began leading the occupation after receiving a divine message ordering him to do so.

By early December 2015, Ammon Bundy and Ryan Payne had set up residence in Burns. The same month, they organized a meeting at the Harney County fairgrounds to rally support for their efforts. At the meeting, a "Committee of Safety" was organized to orchestrate direct action against the Hammond sentences. According to that group's website, the Committee of Safety considers itself "a governmental body established by the people in the absence of the ability of the existing government to provide for the needs and protection of civilized society" (during the American Revolution, committees of safety were shadow governments organized to usurp authority from colonial administrators).

On December 30, 2015, USFWS staff members at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge were dismissed early from work. With tensions rising in nearby Burns, supervisors left staff with the final instruction not to return to the Refuge unless explicitly instructed. Meanwhile, some residents of Burns reported harassment and intimidation by militia members. According to the spouses and children of several federal employees and local police, they had been followed home or to school by vehicles with out-of-state license plates.

On January 1, 2016, a forum held at the Harney County fairgrounds was attended by about 60 local residents and members of militias. A Burns-area resident who organized the event described it as an opportunity to defuse tensions that had been simmering between locals and out-of-town militia in the preceding days. It was unclear how the group should proceed. The event alternated between expressions of sympathy for the Hammonds and suggestions that a peaceful rally could be beneficial.

On January 2, a crowd of about 300 gathered in a Safeway parking lot in Burns. Following speeches, the crowd marched to the home of Dwight and Steve Hammond, stopping briefly en route to protest outside the sheriff's office. The crowd then returned to the Safeway parking lot and broke up. According to KOIN-TV, there was "no visible police presence at any point."

Initial occupation (January 2)

Jon Ritzheimer, pictured here in May 2015, was identified as one of the leaders of the militant occupation.

Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy – along with Jon Ritzheimer and armed associates – separated from the protest crowd at some point during the day and proceeded to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR), 30 miles away. There, they began occupying unstaffed buildings on the property and set up a roadblock on an access drive. Ammon Bundy called on supporters to converge on the facility. According to The Oregonian, Ryan Bundy has stated that the militant group wants the Hammonds to be released and for the federal government to relinquish control of the Malheur National Forest.

Later that day, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which operates the refuge, closed it until further notice. The Bureau of Land Management also closed its office until further notice.

As of January 2, the militia leaders claimed to have 150 armed personnel available at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Media reports suggested lower numbers, including "no more than a dozen" and "between six and 12."

Meanwhile, the Idaho "3 Percenters" (one of the militias identified by media as involved in the takeover) disclaimed involvement, calling the occupation a small splinter action.

The Harney County Sheriff's Office said that the Oregon State Police was "handling the incident", while the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the agency was "aware" of the situation. At the time there was no visible law enforcement presence in the area; authorities had not approached the refuge or blocked access to it.

January 3

This USGS satellite image of the MNWR headquarters complex is labeled to show key locations referenced in news reports of the militia occupation: (1) fire lookout used by militants as watch tower, (2) MNWR offices used as headquarters building, (3) residential buildings used by militants as barracks and canteen.

On January 3, Ammon Bundy said the ultimate goal of the militants was to "get the economics here in the county revived" for logging and outdoor recreation, and claimed that they were being supplied by area residents. The Oregonian said there were roughly 20 to 25 people present and that the militants had deployed into defensive positions. Additional militiamen occupied the facility's buildings.

Later that day, Sheriff David M. Ward issued a statement asking residents to avoid the scene and saying that the militants aimed to overthrow the government.

Oregon State Police officials then announced that a multi-agency command center would be established the following day to coordinate a response to the situation. The FBI assumed the lead role in the investigation and announced that it was working with local and state authorities to seek "a peaceful resolution to the situation". For safety reasons, it said it would "not be releasing any specifics with regards to the law enforcement response."

Despite the increased presence in and around Burns, by the end of the day on January 4 no overt police presence was visible in the thirty miles between the town and Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, seemingly underscoring the cautious, non-confrontational approach by authorities. Federal authorities were thought to "be mindful of prior clashes with people who did not recognize government authority", such as the Ruby Ridge incident in 1992 and the Waco siege in 1993. These events "ended in bloodshed and became rallying cries for antigovernment militants", in contrast to similar standoffs which ended peacefully, such as the 1996 standoff with the Montana Freemen, which was resolved by extended negotiations leading to the group's surrender.

January 4

On January 4, Steve Grasty, the judge-executive of Harney County, emailed Ammon Bundy requesting that he leave the refuge. Ammon Bundy's brother, Ryan, said that he and the other militants would leave the property "if the county people tell us to". Sheriff David Ward then requested that the Bundys and others to leave. In response, Ryan Bundy said he wasn't convinced Ward spoke for the county. In a public meeting held on January 6 at the Harney County fairgrounds, nearly every attending person, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting, raised their hands on a question asking if the militants should leave. Ward then offered to escort the militants to the county line if they would depart voluntarily.

That same day, the militants announced they had organized into an umbrella group called Citizens for Constitutional Freedom. Meanwhile, Dwight and Steve Hammond voluntarily reported to begin serving the remaining four years of their prison sentences.

All schools in Harney County closed on January 4 as a safety precaution. On January 5, the county sheriff's office announced it would host a community meeting to "discuss safety concerns and the disruptions" on the next day.

January 5–7

On January 5, The Guardian reported that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was preparing to cut access and utility service to the refuge. Speaking of a potential police siege, Ammon Bundy said militants were "ready and waiting" and, in response to the reports, the group began making preparations to repel a potential attack. An Oregon Public Broadcasting report later discredited The Guardian's story and the militants "stood down" from a higher state of readiness.

Sheriff Ward, meanwhile, said that they authorities were working to break the occupation in ways that would "not be visible to the public". Law enforcement personnel from nine Oregon counties began converging on the area in order to bolster courthouse security and increase the visible police presence in populated areas—rather than to respond to the situation at the the refuge. Ward assured residents that deputies from outside the county would not harass them, and called on residents to form a "united front". He also threatened any resident who would provide supplies to the militants with criminal charges.

A fistfight erupted at the refuge on the evening of January 6 when three members of a group calling themselves Veterans on Patrol attempted to enter the headquarters and convince women and children to leave. Instead, they were repelled by militants, leaving one member of the Veterans on Patrol with a black eye.

On January 7, the local energy company began disconnecting power to a separate part of the refuge, so as to prevent militants from relocating to other sites within the refuge. Later that day, Sheriff Ward and other local sheriffs met with Ammon Bundy and Ryan Payne 20 miles from the site of the occupation. Sheriff Ward repeated his earlier offer to provide escort the militants out of the county. Bundy rejected the offer, saying he and his confederates would hold out until the federal government had surrendered all of its land holdings to local residents.

January 8–10

Matt Shea, a member of the Washington House of Representatives, was one of several out-of-state politicians to meet with the militants on January 9 over objections of local officials.

On January 8, in preparation for a rumored protest that was being organized in Burns, sheriff's deputies began fortifying the county courthouse, with "heavily armed sheriff's deputies" patrolling the building. Members of other militias later met with the militants, asking them to establish a perimeter around the occupied area to avoid a "Waco-style situation". A number of other militia and anti-government groups, some armed arrived, and were greeted with mixed reception. On January 8, the 3 Percenters of Idaho, an Idaho-based militia who had earlier disclaimed support for the occupation, announced it was sending some of its members to "secure a perimeter" around the MNWR compound and prevent a repeat of the Waco siege. Bundy welcomed the arrival of the additional militants. On January 9, the Pacific Patriot Network, a separate militia, arrived to secure a perimeter around the refuge, but were not welcomed and withdrew. However, other groups, such as the 3 Percenters, remained.

In what The Oregonian characterized as "the latest bizarre turn of events," state Rep. Dallas Heard traveled to the Refuge on January 9 with a delegation of elected officials including Judy Boyle, Heather Scott and Sage Dixon of Idaho, and Graham Hunt and Matt Shea of Washington state. The trip was described by Heard as a "fact-finding mission" and occurred over the objections of state Rep. Cliff Bentz and Harney County judge Steve Grasty. The delegation returned to Burns after a brief meeting with the militants.

By January 10, to the apparent exasperation of local officials, an influx of armed groups and individuals was rotating through Burns, with some declaring they were there to support the armed occupation, others to try to convince the militants to quit, and still others with undefined purposes. At that point in the standoff, militants continued to come and go from the refuge without apparent hindrance, with a militia spokesman noting that the Bundys had left the refuge for a period of time that morning to attend church. Some militants, meanwhile, left the occupation completely.

January 11–13

On January 11, schools in Harney County were reopened with heightened security. Regional offices of the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management remained closed, with some employees working remotely but no schedule for reopening the offices. Meanwhile, the militants demolished a stretch of fence between the refuge and an adjacent ranch, apparently to give the adjacent ranch access to land that had been blocked for years. However, the ranch owners did not want the fence taken down and have since repaired it. The militants began searching through government documents stored for proof of government wrongdoing toward local ranchers. The computers on site have also been used to make a website for the occupation called Defend Your Base.

Ward also expressed concern that the militants were intimidating federal employees, including following individuals home and observing them there.

On January 12, a militant announced an upcoming community meeting to explain their motives and inform residents when they would leave, but later cancelled the meeting. The same day, Bruce Doucette, the owner of a computer repair shop in Denver and self-proclaimed judge, announced he would convene a "grand jury" to charge government officials with various crimes. During a previous militia rally in 2015, Doucette, who has not attended law school nor ever held judicial office, referred the Denver Post to his Facebook page when asked for documentation of his magistracy. Doucette's claims to be a judge are consistent with legal frauds often practiced by the sovereign citizen movement and other anti-government movements. The Southern Poverty Law Center noted a similarity between Doucette's planned trials and the false trials held by the Montana Freemen group in the 1990s.

On January 13, Chris Briels, the chief of the Harney County Fire Department, announced his resignation and decision to join the militants.

January 14–15

On January 14, local hunting groups removed the militants' signage on the refuge and replaced it with U.S. flags. The hunters disavowed the occupation as "extremist attempts to grab our public lands" and predicted that public access to the lands would end if the militants achieved their goals.

On January 15, it was revealed that the militants had been filing false legal documents and threatening local officials they view as being uncooperative with their "grand jury" proceedings or charges of treason. Later that day, in the first arrest of a militant since the occupation began, a man was apprehended while driving a vehicle stolen from the refuge facility.

Late on January 15, Ammon Bundy announced that the militants planned a longer stay and were reaching out to nearby militant groups and county sheriffs for military support. He also reiterated the militants' threats that they would hold "a trial with the redress of grievance" against county officials and others whom the group considered enemies.

Birders and other environmental and outdoors groups protested against the loss of access to the refuge caused by the occupation.

January 16–18

Militant numbers continued to grow to "several dozen" according to one report or about 40 in another.

On January 16, the Oath Keepers anti-government militia group threatened "a conflagration so great, it cannot be stopped, leading to a bloody, brutal civil war" if the situation declined to violence, and reiterated demands for the federal government to cede ownership of the wildlife refuge.

On the same day, militants began to vandalize the property, which local community leaders characterized as an attempt to provoke violent confrontation.

Also on that same day, a group of environmental protesters confronted the militant group. The shouting between the groups became heated as a pro-militia, anti-government host of a little known YouTube program used a megaphone to shout down the counter-protesters.

On January 17, brothers Jake and Zach Klonoski started a group known as "Getting Occupiers of the Historic Oregon Malheur Evicted", or "G.O.H.O.M.E.", aiming to restore federal control of the refuge. By the end of that day, they had received over $13,000 in donations, which they stated will go organizations such as the Burns Paiute Tribe and Southern Poverty Law Center.

Reactions

Media

Due to the presence of members with connections to hate groups and violent anti-government groups, The Daily Beast dubbed the event "Wingnut Woodstock", referencing a militant who would only identify himself as "Captain Moroni" (in an apparent reference to a Mormon legend) who told media, "I didn't come here to shoot. I came here to die."

Anti-government activists

Cliven Bundy, the father of Ammon and Ryan Bundy, said he was not involved in organizing the takeover of the MNWR facilities and added that it was "not exactly what I thought should happen".

Asked about the incident, Mike Vanderboegh, a founder of the 3 Percenters militia, described the militants as "a collection of fruits and nuts", described John Ritzheimer as a "fool", and said Ammon Bundy had "a John Brown complex".

The group Oath Keepers (of which Jon Ritzheimer was formerly a member) in a statement published on its website prior to the seizure of the MNWR facilities, said, "[W]e cannot force ourselves or our protection on people who do not want it. Dwight and Steven Hammond have made it clear, through their attorney, that they just want to turn themselves in and serve out their sentence. And that clear statement of their intent should be the end of the discussion on this." The group's leader later took back their statements and threatened "bloody, brutal civil war" if the situation did not end peacefully with the group's demands met.

Residents

The New York Times reported that "[r]esidents expressed sympathy with the underlying complaints, but elected officials criticized the armed protesters as an outsider militia group whose actions had thrown their community into a harsh national glare." Former Burns mayor Len Vohs said, "The majority of us support the Hammonds, but we don't need outsiders telling us what to do." He criticized the tactics used by the militiamen, saying that it was "anarchy" and "might is right" thinking. Harney County commissioner Dan Nichols, a neighbor of the Hammond family, made similar comments, saying that he shared frustrations about federal land policy but strongly disagreed with the involvement of armed outsiders.

In a meeting held on January 6, local residents nearly unanimously agreed they wanted the militants to leave in a show of hands to a question from Harney County Sheriff David Ward, although some expressed agreement with the concerns raised by the militia group over land use issues.

Federal, state, local, and tribal governments

On January 4, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said, "[U]ltimately this is a local law enforcement matter and the FBI is monitoring the situation and offering support to local law enforcement officials." Earnest added that President Barack Obama was aware of the situation.

In a statement issued January 7, Governor Kate Brown of Oregon said, "I agree that what started as a peaceful and legal protest has become unlawful. It was instigated by outsiders whose tactics we Oregonians don't agree with. Those individuals illegally occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge need to decamp immediately and be held accountable."

In a speech in the U.S. House of Representatives during the occupation, Rep. Greg Walden said he disapproved of the actions taken by the militants, but that he "understood and heard their anger".

In a statement posted to its website on January 4, the Harney County Court said that "the Refuge is under federal jurisdiction. The County Court will stay engaged within the limits of our legal authority. The Hammond family is well respected in Harney County, [the] motivation of the militia groups that have descended on Harney County goes far beyond the troubles of the Hammond family as demonstrated by their actions at the Refuge." The court went on to announce it had ordered increased security at the county courthouse. Harney County Judge Steve Grasty announced that the Bundy group would be billed the security costs incurred by the county as a result of the occupation, estimated at $60,000 to $70,000 per day.

The governing council of the Burns Paiute Tribe, an Indian nation in Harney County, declared the militants were endangering the tribe's history by their presence and called on them to leave. Tribal chair Charlotte Rodrique went on to explain that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was the protector of traditional Burns Paiute religious and archaeological sites in the area and that the displacement of federal authorities put such locations at risk.

State Representative Cliff Bentz, who represents the region in the Oregon House of Representatives, said that the outside groups do not represents Burns or Harney County, explaining, "They're trying to use the misfortune of the Hammonds to further the interests of the Bundys."

U.S. Representative Greg Walden of Oregon said in his speech on the floor of the House that "I am not condoning this takeover in any way. I want to make that clear. I don't think it is appropriate. There is a right to protest. I think they have gone too far. But I understand and hear their anger."

In a January 6 press release, the Western State Sheriffs Association (WSSA), an organization representing 800 sheriffs in the Western United States, said its mission was to "promote the office of Sheriff and to assist our member Sheriffs on issues of mutual concern" and that it had offered Harney County Sheriff David Ward to organize out-of-state resources to send to Oregon if requested. The WSSA statement went on to note that it did not "support efforts of any individual or groups who utilize intimidation, threats or fear in order to further an agenda."

Organizations

The Oregon Cattleman's Association, while maintaining it still supported the Hammonds, released a statement that declared it did "not support illegal activity taken against the government. This includes militia takeover of government property, such as the Malheur Wildlife Refuge."

In a January 4 statement released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Church leaders said they "strongly condemn the armed seizure of the facility and are deeply troubled by the reports that those who have seized the facility suggest that they are doing so based on scriptural principles. This armed occupation can in no way be justified on a scriptural basis."

The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) launched a publicity stunt on January 5 by sending a delegation to the area to give vegan jerky to militia members.

The Audubon Society of Portland, in a written statement, said that the "occupation of Malheur by armed, out of state militia groups puts one of America's most important wildlife refuges at risk. It violates the most basic principles of the public trust doctrine and holds hostage public lands and public resources to serve the very narrow political agenda of the militants."

Other

The militants were mocked on social media, with commentators ridiculing the groups as "Y'all Qaeda" (in reference to American dialectical Y'all and the group al-Qaeda). Twitter hashtags such as "#OregonUnderAttack," "#VanillaISIS" (a portmanteau of Vanilla Ice and ISIS), "#Yeehawdists" (Yeehaw and Jihadists), "#Yokelharam" (Yokel and Boko Haram), and #Talibundy (Taliban and the Bundy surname) were used.

Some self-identified Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) supporters expressed support for the takeover on social media with one tweeting that "these rebels have military experience and are trained in warfare. They may be able to degrade and destroy their corrupt, evil, and oppressive government, or at the least severely damage its operations."

Ridiculing requests for supplies like food and fuel, members of the public sent the militants numerous packages of glitter and sex paraphernalia in protest.

Debates over the definition of terrorism

See also: Definitions of terrorism

In the midst of the occupation, there has been considerable traditional and social media coverage considering how the media and law enforcement describe and have reacted to the militia occupation. The reaction to the white and Christian militants has been contrasted with that to black protesters, e.g. around the Ferguson protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, or to Muslims. Some commentators have described decisions not to label the militants as terrorists as an example of white privilege.

The militants themselves have drawn the comparison with the Black Lives Matter and other anti-racist demonstrations, with one occupier saying, in contrast to most media reports, they have been more harshly treated than Black Lives Matter protesters. Ammon Bundy was initially reported to have tweeted comparing himself to Rosa Parks, but the post was later reported to have been sent by a hoax account, although other involved militants have made a comparison with Parks.

See also

• Occupation of Alcatraz
• Posse Comitatus
• Sagebrush Rebellion
• Utah Transfer of Public Lands Act
• Wounded Knee incident