Idaho organization does not support Oregon protest

Brandon Curtiss, president of III% of Idaho, said Sunday night that the organization does not condone the execution of the armed militia protest at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. III% of Idaho — based in Meridian — joined with III% of Oregon, the Pacific Patriot Network, Harney County and Burns community members in a rally for the Hammond family Saturday afternoon from noon to about 2:30 p.m. The rally took place along Main Street in Burns, Oregon. Curtiss said the rally marched through Main Street and stopped at the Hammond's residence, where marchers placed flowers and spoke with the Hammond family about Dwight and Steven Hammond returning to prison. Curtiss said about 350 people walked through town for about two and a half hours. About 100 people from III% of Idaho marched, according to Curtiss. Curtiss said no one from III% of Idaho joined the protest at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, which is about 30 minutes outside of Burns in Harney County. After the rally, around 3 p.m., a “splinter group,” lead by Ammond Bundy called marchers to come take a “hard stand.” Curtiss said Bundy did not make it clear followers would be driving out to and occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Curtiss said he found this out later. “The events that came after (the rally) were a complete surprise,” Curtiss said. Curtiss said III% Idaho is a non-partisan organization which stands for and protects citizen rights and restoring the Constitution. III% of Idaho feels that Dwight and Steven Hammond are in a situation of double jeopardy, according to Curtiss. The Constitution states that no one shall be tried twice for the same crime. The intent of the rally was to demonstrate that the Hammond family's constitutional rights were violated. “The intent was to show the Hammond family that there are people who care,” Curtiss said. After the rally, III% of Idaho and the other organizations held a town hall meeting at the Burns fairgrounds. The meeting initially was scheduled to discuss the Hammond's situation. The meeting later turned into a Q&A about the militia protest at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Curtiss said it was difficult to answer questions about the protest because the organizations had just heard about it...Idaho Press Tribune