Oregon militia's behavior increasingly brazen as public property destroyed
Occupiers of Malheur refuge apparently testing officials’ patience: ‘They’re really trying to get a rise out of somebody,’ says local tribal leader
The militiamen
occupying a wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon have adopted increasingly bold and risky tactics in their protest against the federal government, raising questions about how long law enforcement officials can allow the standoff to continue.
Now entering their third week of
occupying the Malheur national wildlife refugein rural Harney County, leaders of the militia appear to be testing the patience of the local sheriff’s department and the FBI by brazenly commandeering and in some cases destroying public property while escalating their anti-government rhetoric.
Community leaders and government officials in
Oregon and beyond say they fear there could be major damage at the refuge and elevated safety risks for employees and local residents if the militia continues to stand its ground, seemingly emboldened by the continuing lack of consequences.
“For these people to go in and just be destructive, they’re really trying to get a rise out of somebody,” said Charlotte Rodrique, chairwoman of the local Paiute Indian tribe, who has argued that
Native Americans have much more of a claim to the public land in question than the out-of-state militiamen running the takeover.
“They really want a confrontation.”
On Friday evening, Rodrique said she was horrified to learn that the militia, led by Nevada rancher Ammon Bundy, had
paved a road through part of the wildlife sanctuary. That move came days after occupiers
destroyed part of a US Fish and Wildlife Service fence, to allow cattle to freely graze on public lands the federal government controls.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...en-as-public-property-destroyed?CMP=edit_2221