Thread: Oregon militia standoff: FBI surrounds remaining occupiers at wildlife refuge

Oregon militia standoff: FBI surrounds remaining occupiers at wildlife refuge

One of the remaining occupiers at the Malheur wildlife refuge drove outside of police barricades, prompting a dramatic standoff that is being live-streamed



According to an FBI statement, one of the members of the Oregon militia at the Malheur national wildlife refuge drove outside of the police barricades and agents attempted unsuccessfully to approach them. Photograph: Jim Urquhart/Reuters

Sam Levin in San Francisco
@SamTLevin
Wednesday 10 February 2016 21.30 ESTLast modified on Wednesday 10 February 201621.40 EST

The FBI surrounded the four remaining militia members occupying a wildlife refuge in Oregon on Wednesday night, prompting a dramatic standoff that is being live-streamed on YouTube.

According to an FBI statement, one of the occupiers drove outside of the police barricades on Wednesday afternoon, and agents attempted unsuccessfully to approach the individual.

On a live-stream published by activist Gavin Seim, a woman identifying herself as Sandy Anderson shouted: “Please don’t let us die in vain tonight! If they shoot us and kill us, this is going to be a revolution!” She added: “Our weapons are at our side.” Another woman was heard shouting: “They’re going to kill us.”

“At this time, the FBI has moved to contain the remaining occupiers by placing agents at barricades both immediately in front of and behind the area where the occupiers are camping. Negotiations between the occupiers and the FBI continue. No shots have been fired,” the FBI said in the statement released at 6.20pm.

The four holdouts at the Malheur national wildlife refuge are David Fry, Jeff Banta, and husband-and-wife Sean and Sandy Anderson.

Greg Bretzing, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon, said in a statement: “It has never been the FBI’s desire to engage these armed occupiers in any way other than through dialogue, and to that end, the FBI has negotiated with patience and restraint in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully. However, we reached a point where it became necessary to take action in a way that best ensured the safety of those on the refuge, the law enforcement officers who are on scene, and the people of Harney County who live and work in this area.”

Two weeks ago, law enforcement officials arrested protest leader Ammon Bundy and fatally shot militia spokesman LaVoy Finicum, prompting the rapid downfall of the rightwing militia that for weeks had refused to surrender at the wildlife refuge.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...ildlife-refuge

ThinkProgress
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UPDATE: Cliven Bundy announces he's headed to Oregon to join militants currently surrounded by the FBI http://thkpr.gs/3748511

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7:29 PM - 10 Feb 2016

• Paul C Perez ‏@PaulCPerez1 3m3 minutes ago
  @thinkprogress
  FBI's not going to let anyone on the refuge

Listen to what's going on here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOlr...be&app=desktop

Live Updates: Oregon Standoff Escalating

OPB | Feb. 10, 2016 6:15 p.m. | Updated: Feb. 10, 2016 7:58 p.m.

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7:18 p.m. Nevada Rancher Cliven Bundy, father of occupation leaders Ammon and Ryan Bundy, says on his Facebook page that he is heading down to Burns. He is calling for “patriots” and “militia” to join him.

Follow all of our Armed Occupation In Eastern Oregon Coverage. Follow live updates from all of our reporters covering the story. The situation is ongoing we’ll update as it develops.

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7:13 p.m Reporter Amanda Peacher is at the Narrows around five miles from the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. She learned from a neighbor nearby that the FBI told them to stay in their home.

She is updating as the situation unfolds.

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7:02 p.m An individual identifying as Burns mayor Craig LaFollette is talking over the phone with the occupants. He says they are sending a “specialist” negotiator out to the standoff.

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Public access to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge remains cut off, more than thirty days after an armed militant group took over the headquarters.
Rob Manning/OPB

6:33 p.m. The FBI confirmed it has moved to contain occupiers still inside the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. FBI officials said it has placed agents at barricades near the area where the militants are located. Negotiations continue between law enforcement and the occupiers, and no shots have been fired. Greg Bretzing, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon said the following in a press release:

“It has never been the FBI’s desire to engage these armed occupiers in any way other than through dialogue, and to that end, the FBI has negotiated with patience and restraint in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully.

However, we reached a point where it became necessary to take action in a way that best ensured the safety of those on the refuge, the law enforcement officers who are on scene, and the people of Harney County who live and work in this area.”

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6:22 p.m. Nevada State Assemblywoman Michele Fiore called in to the militants from the Portland airport. She said she would be willing to travel to Burns to help negotiate an end to the standoff.

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6:00 p.m. The FBI moved in on the remaining occupants at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

A live-stream from Gaven Seim, a media personality who frequently posts videos in support of the occupation, is capturing mounting tension among the four occupiers inside the refuge. At times a fifth voice is heard on a loudspeaker over the stream. That person appears to be an FBI negotiator. He addressed occupation members David Fry and Sean Anderson by name. Jeff Banta, the other militant inside the refuge, did not speak on the recording.

“Put your weapon down and come forward,” the voice said. “I want to hear what you have to say.”

Seim said he received a call from Fry and began streaming it online.

The occupiers are calling for politicians to intervene and protect them and are asking for Assemblywoman Michele Fiore.

http://www.opb.org/news/series/burns...ff-escalating/

Sipa USA / Alex Milan Tracy
FEBRUARY 10, 2016, 9:34 PM EST
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewir...regon-standoff

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Brandon Wall
Verified account‏@Walldo

#OregonStandoff
militants disconnect from the livestream.
They tentatively plan to surrender around 8 a.m. Pacific Time Thursday morning

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9:53 PM - 10 Feb 2016

Brandon Wall ‏@Walldo 46m46 minutes ago
#OregonStandoff militants spoke to the FBI. Sounds like they are ready to surrender at 8 a.m.

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9:23 p.m. Occupier Sean Anderson told Nevada state Rep. Michele Fiore the remaining four occupiers will turn themselves in to the FBI Thursday morning.

CBS News
Verified account‏@CBSNews

Rancher Cliven Bundy arrested in Portland as standoff at wildlife refuge appears to near end http://cbsn.ws/1RsXiik

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6:22 AM - 11 Feb 2016

Oregon standoff: Protesters may be about to leave; Cliven Bundy arrested

By Joshua Berlinger and Dana Ford, CNN
Updated 10:07 AM ET, Thu February 11, 2016 | Video Source: CNN

(CNN)The armed occupiers of a wildlife refuge in Oregon say they will turn themselves in Thursday morning, hours after federal agents arrested Cliven Bundy, the father of protest leader Ammon Bundy.

Oregon siege: What the armed group wants and why
A Facebook page for his ranchannounced that Cliven Bundy -- who came to the national spotlight in a fight with the federal Bureau of Land Management over grazing rights for his cattle in 2014 -- was heading to Oregon earlier Wednesday.

"It's time," the post said. "Cliven Bundy is headed to the Harney County Resource Center in Burns Oregon."

Bundy was taken into federal custody in Portland, Oregon, after landing there early Thursday morning, the FBI said.

The same Facebook page posted a statement that Bundy was arrested for charges "related to his standoff with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in 2014." The post continued, "The charges include a conspiracy charge to interfere with a federal officer ... and a weapons charge."

Bundy's son, Ammon, was one of the leaders of the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge'sheadquarters. He was arrested last month.

During a purported live stream of a conference call between protesters, activists and conservative Nevada lawmaker Michele Fiore, the refuge's current occupiers said they were prepared to leave Thursday morning.

The audio was live-streamed on YouTube.
Fiore told those on the call that Mike Arnold -- Ammon Bundy's lawyer, who Fiore said was in the car with her -- spoke with the FBI. She said the agency promised it would stand down Wednesday night and allow her to be at an FBI checkpoint Thursday morning when the occupiers turn themselves in.

CNN affiliates based in Portland are reporting that Fiore is on her way to the refuge.

One man who plans to be there is Franklin Graham, the nationally known evangelist and son of legendary preacher Billy Graham, who said he's been talking with "the last four holdouts ... every day by phone for the last week at their request and at the request of the FBI."

He wrote Thursday morning on Facebook that he hopes to be at the refuge at 7 a.m. (10 a.m. ET), in time for those inside to come out.

"Please keep them, law enforcement officials, and all involved in your prayers, that everyone will be safe," Graham said.

Surrounded

The live stream started after the FBI surrounded those occupying the refuge.

According to the agency, one of the remaining occupiers rode outside barricades at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. When agents tried to approach him, he sped back to the refuge.

After that, the FBI said agents "moved to contain the remaining occupiers by placing agents at barricades both immediately ahead of and behind the area where the occupiers are camping."

The FBI said no shots were fired, and it is continuing to negotiate with those inside the refuge.

"The FBI has negotiated with patience and restraint in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully," said Greg Bretzing, special agent in charge of the FBI's Portland office.

"However, we reached a point where it became necessary to take action in a way that best ensured the safety of those on the refuge, the law enforcement officers who are on scene, and the people of Harney County who live and work in this area."

'God has put us on this path'

Earlier on the call, the occupiers sounded concerned that the FBI planned to move in Wednesday night and that it would lead to their deaths. At times, they seemed to fatalistically embrace that outcome.

When one woman -- presumed to be Fiore -- asked two of them about their families, a man responded, "God has put us on this path. Our families are already taken care of; they weren't in our lives much before all this because God made sure we didn't have that to weigh us down so that we could do this."

The people on the phone could be heard debating conditions for which they'd be willing to leave the refuge.

At one point late Wednesday, more than 66,000 people were listening.

Protest leads to armed occupation

Thursday marks day 41 of the occupation.
Ammon Bundy and others started out demonstrating against the sentencing of Dwight Hammond and his son Steven, ranchers who were convicted of arson on federal lands in Oregon.

But a January 2 march supporting the Hammonds led to the armed occupation of the refuge building, with protesters decrying what they call government overreach when it comes to federal lands.

Bundy and other members of his group were arrested during an incident along a highway last month.

At the same time, law enforcement officers shot and killed LaVoy Finicum, one of the protest group's most prominent members.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/11/us/oregon-standoff/