From January 2 to February 11, 2016, the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR) in eastern Oregon were seized and occupied by an armed group, later called Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, affiliated with private U.S. militias and the sovereign citizen movement following an earlier peaceful march in protest of the prison sentences for ranchers Dwight Hammond and his son, Steven Hammond,[1][2][3][4] who were convicted of arson on federal land,[5] sentenced to five years' imprisonment, and sought clemency from the U.S.
In the first days, the takeover sparked a debate in the United States on the meaning of the word "terrorist" and on how the news media and law enforcement treat situations involving people of different ethnicities or religions.
[12] On January 3, Harney County Sheriff David Ward issued a statement asking residents to avoid the scene and saying that the militants aimed to overthrow the government.
[20] Media outlets reported that the entrance gates to Burns Municipal Airport had been blocked by the Oregon State Police using patrol cars and armored vehicles.
[22][23] Among the agencies to send personnel were the sheriffs of Wasco, Clackamas, Marion, Deschutes, Crook, Umatilla, Multnomah, Baker, and Linn Counties, along with the Burns Paiute tribal police.
"[31] Due to the presence of members with connections to right-wing groups such as the Three Percenters and the Oath Keepers, The Daily Beast dubbed the event "Wingnut Woodstock," referencing a militant, Dylan Anderson, who at the time would only identify himself as "Captain Moroni" (in an apparent reference to a leader in the Book of Mormon) who told media outlets, "I didn't come here to shoot I came here to die.
"[32] Pacific Standard magazine published a detailed analysis of many of the historical claims made by the militants in their public statements and in an "open letter" addressed to Harney County Sheriff David Ward.
Although the law on this is clear and has been for decades, the protestors continue to argue that the federal government does not have valid legal ownership of the land and must give it back to the states.
"[11] Asked about the incident, Mike Vanderboegh, a founder of the 3 Percenters, described the militants as "a collection of fruits and nuts," described Jon Ritzheimer as a "fool," and said Ammon Bundy had "a John Brown complex.
Stewart Rhodes, founder and leader of the Oath Keepers (of which Jon Ritzheimer was formerly a member) published an online statement one day prior to the seizure of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, saying, "We cannot force ourselves or our protection on people who do not want it.
[38] The New York Times reported that "Residents 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.
[40] 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.
[39] 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.
Tribal chair Charlotte Rodrique went on to explain that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 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.
"[54][55][56] 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.
[57][58] 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.
[62][63] Twitter hashtags such as "#OregonUnderAttack," "#VanillaISIS"[63] (Vanilla Ice and ISIS),[64] "#Yeehawdists" (Yeehaw and Jihadists), "#Yokelharam" (Yokel and Boko Haram), and "#Talibundy" (Taliban and the Bundy surname) were used.
One self-identified ISIL supporter, using the nom de guerre Abu Adriatic Irhabi, wrote that "these rebels have military experience and are trained in warfare.
"[71] Writer Ursula K. Le Guin, a resident of Oregon, wrote in a letter to the editor to The Oregonian that "Ammon Bundy and his bullyboys aren't trying to free federal lands, but to hold them hostage.
"[75][76][77] A number of commentators viewed the law enforcement response to the occupation as more lenient than the treatment accorded to Black Lives Matter protesters, with some terming this an example of white privilege.