Are protesters still at the wildlife refuge?
Yes,
it appears so, though it's unclear how many. Numbers have fluctuated
since the occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters
began in early January. CNN's Sara Sidner, who visited the refuge
earlier this month, said she saw dozens of people there, mostly
men. After Tuesday's arrests, the usually outspoken group didn't specify
how many remain. Gov. Kate Brown called for patience while officials
work toward a "swift and peaceful resolution."
What do the occupiers plan to do next?
Occupiers
who remained Wednesday morning told journalist John Sepulvado --
reporting from inside the refuge but outside the headquarters -- that
they planned to stay and were prepared to die. "I just spoke to
the new leaders -- including Jason Patrick -- They say that 5-6 (people)
had a meeting, and by consensus they decided to stay," Sepulvado wrote
Wednesday morning on Twitter. Ammon Bundy, son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy,
had said he and others were prepared to stay in the building for days,
weeks or months if necessary. They have enough food and other supplies,
he said, to see them through for a long time. The younger Bundy
repeatedly warned that the armed occupiers don't intend to harm anyone
but said that if law enforcement or others try to force them from the
building, they would defend themselves.
On Tuesday, the group said on its unverified Facebook page that it was "at a heightened level of alert" and asked for prayers.
What happens next?
That depends on whether the rest of the occupiers leave. Keeping
an eye on them apparently hasn't been cheap. The price tag on the
occupation so far is costing Oregon about $100,000 a week, the governor
said. She wants reimbursement from the federal government for those
mounting costs. Then there's the legal process. All eight people
arrested Tuesday face a federal felony charge relating to their
occupation of the refuge: conspiracy to impede officers of the United
States from discharging their official duties through the use of force,
intimidation or threats, authorities said. It's unclear when they'll
make their first court appearances. Also unclear is how exactly the arrests unfolded, and who fired first.
"The
situation in Harney County continues to be the subject of a federal
investigation that is in progress. My highest priority is the safety of
all Oregonians and their communities," the governor said in a statement...more
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment