Cliven Bundy has called for the remaining four ranchers occupying a wildlife refuge in Oregon to stand their ground against federal authorities, despite his son’s plea for the ranchers to back down after he and 10 others were arrested.
Mr Bundy had previously distanced himself from the armed stand-off between ranchers and federal authorities, which started on 2 January, although he was engaged in a similar stand-off in 2014. He wrote a letter to Harney County Sheriff David Ward, Oregon Governor Kate Brown and President Obama on Monday.
“This is notice that We the People of Harney County and also We the People of the citizens of the United States DO GIVE NOTICE THAT WE WILL RETAIN POSSESSION OF THE HARNEY COUNTY RESOURCE CENTER,” the letter stated, as reported by New York Daily News.
His son Ammon Bundy was arrested on 26 January and made a plea for his fellow comrades to leave the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Burns, Oregon.
On the same day of Ammon Bundy’s arrest, police shot and killed Arizona rancher Robert “LaVoy” Finicum.
Now there are just four people at the refuge and are surrounded by authorities, as reported by New York Daily News. On Monday hundreds of people went to the courthouse in Burns to both support and protest against the remaining ranchers and the man who was killed.
The ranchers at the refuge include a married couple, Sandy and Sean Anderson, alongside David Fry and Jeff Banta.
11 ranchers who have already been arrested face charges of using intimidation to prevent federal employees from their work at the refuge.
