More protesters arriving - including militia, which some locals don't like

More protesters are showing up to support rancher Cliven Bundy, who is resisting federal rangers outside Mesquite. So far, the Bureau of Land Management has not backed down. The agency says Bundy's cattle are on public land illegally. People are coming in from out of state to hold off the federal rangers and many are armed. Tensions reached a boiling point Wednesday after rangers tased Cliven Bundy's son Ammon Bundy twice, leaving bloody marks on his neck and chest. A sister to Cliven Bundy also told 8 News NOW that a BLM ranger hit her with his car. Now, armed militia are joining the protesters but not everyone is happy about it. Ammon Bundy is telling his supporters that federal rangers won't hesitate to go on the attack, if necessary. "These are heavily armed individuals with fully automatic weapons," Ammon Bundy said. For days, the land around the Bundy ranch has seemed somewhat like a police state to people in the community. "Throwing women to the ground, tasing them, sicking K-9 dogs on them," Ernie Jessop, a protester from Utah, said. Those accusations have caught the attention of private militia from across the country, who feel First Amendment rights are being violated. "That is what we do. We provide armed response," Jim Lordy with Operation Mutual Aid said. Lordy came from Montana to join the protesters, and he says he is not afraid to shoot, if necessary. "They have guns. We need guns to protect ourselves from the tyrannical government," Lordy said. He says other militia members are joining him. "There is many more coming," Lordy said. For the small community where the dispute is taking place, violence isn't a part of the conversation. "These people that are coming in could totally disrupt everything," restaurant owner Judy Metz said. Metz says adding guns and militia men to the mix could lead to lives lost. "That frightens me. That absolutely frightens me," Metz said. "If somebody does something or says something, and somebody pulls a gun, that is going to be it," Overton resident Michelle Webb said. For now, things remain peaceful. However, these protesters stand ready, expecting things could turn ugly at any moment. There was one success for these protesters. The BLM took down the controversial First Amendment areas at the urging of Gov. Brian Sandoval...more