The occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge outside Burns, Ore., by militia members sounded terribly ominous at first, with estimates of up to 100 militia members “willing to kill or be killed” present and a Facebook video calling for patriots from all across the Untied States to join their cause.
When reporters finally made it to the outpost — and wandered around inside — the number dropped to “maybe 20” and images of rooms lined with semi-automatic rifles were replaced by photographs of “fuel, food, hiking boots.”
Residents of Burns attended a town meeting this afternoon regarding the situation at the wildlife refuge, and many were fed up with the whole situation.
Looking like a big crowd – lots of traffic – ahead of this afternoon's public meeting on the refuge occupation pic.twitter.com/tYogjif37l
— Kirk Siegler (@KirkSiegler) January 6, 2016
Harney County Sheriff David Ward has been the only law enforcement officer seen in the area, and he let the militia know they weren’t welcome.
An angry Sheriff Ward to occupiers: go home, you're not welcome #bundymilitia pic.twitter.com/qa2q6YXkEN
— Kirk Siegler (@KirkSiegler) January 7, 2016
Harney County sheriff asks outsiders to go home. Crowd responds with a huge round of applause and cheers.
— JJ MacNab (@jjmacnab) January 7, 2016
Ward says his family has been harassed and there is fear and intimidation spreading thru Harney County, "leave" he says to standing ovation
— Kirk Siegler (@KirkSiegler) January 7, 2016
"I'm here today to ask those folks to go home and let us get back to our lives in Harney County" Sheriff says to applause #Oregonstandoff
— Dave Killen (@killendave) January 7, 2016
Loud applause after Harney County Sheriff says, "You don't get to come here from elsewhere and tell us how to live our lives."
— Salvador Hernandez (@SalHernandez) January 7, 2016
Ward says he has problems too with direction of the country, but those should be "addressed at the ballot box" #bundymilitia
— Kirk Siegler (@KirkSiegler) January 7, 2016
.@HarneyCoSheriff says he wants to see country change himself. But it should come at ballot box. "We can't have armed rebellion." #BurnsOR
— Dylan Darling (@DylanJDarling) January 7, 2016
Some citizens said they were prepared to confront the occupiers face-to-face and ask them to move along.
Several people at this meeting are volunteering to go out to the refuge tomorrow morning and tell armed occupants to leave #bundymilitia
— Kirk Siegler (@KirkSiegler) January 7, 2016
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