An armed group of militants seized a building belonging to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge located 30 miles southeast of Burns, Ore following an otherwise peaceful protest on Saturday. The group pledges to occupy the post as long as necessary in order to secure the fair treatment of two ranchers facing prison time.
The group is protesting the fate of Dwight Hammond, 73, and his son, Steven Hammond, 46, who have been convicted on arson charges and are scheduled to report to a San Pedro, Calif. federal prison on Monday.
Law enforcement officers urge residents to keep clear of the area. "A collective effort from multiple agencies is currently working on a solution," Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward said, according to The Oregonian. "Please maintain a peaceful and united front and allow us to work through this situation."
The "front," however, does not appear "united." Members of the Nevada Bundy family joined with other militiamen to occupy the building shortly after roughly 300 marchers demonstrated in Burns.
"This refuge-it has been destructive to the people of the country and to the people of the area," said Ammon Bundy, son of anti-government activist Cliven Bundy, according to CNN. "People need to be aware that we've become a system where government is actually claiming and using and defending people's rights, and they are doing that against the people."
The building that the group has taken over is unoccupied. Bundy said in a news conference on Sunday that the militia had no intention to incite violence or act aggressively. He encouraged other individuals across the U.S. to support their cause and, if violence did occur, it would be of the governments initiative, according to The Washington Post.
The group is not holding any hostages. They claim to be acting within their rights, stating that the creation of the Malheur National Refuge was an unconstitutional act that wrongly removed local ranchers from their lands. The militia also says that they are prepared to hold the site for years.
