After a nearly month-long standoff with local law enforcement Oregon, it finally looks as if the holdout at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is about to be over. After Tuesday night’s shootout that ended with six of the group arrested and one dead, it seems to be the last days of the resistance. With Ammon Bundy – the clear leader of the efforts to prove a point by occupying a wildlife refuge – now behind bars, the last few occupiers are being told to head home and cut their losses. They aren’t only being urged by the local police force, the FBI, or other Oregonians either. In a statement ferried to them by his lawyer, Bundy is telling everyone to surrender and leave the refuge, according to political site The Hill.
Even after their leaders were arrested on Tuesday, a few dozen people still remain at the refuge in the hopes that accomplishing their goals is still a possible outcome. Seeing as the original purpose of the occupation was the opposition of federal land ownership and the protestation of a punishment for two people who set federal land on fire, it is not surprising that common sense is not the proper way to get through to these people. Especially since taking a wildlife refuge hostage because you are against federal land ownership is about on the same level as kidnapping a milkman because you’re a vegan.
The end of the show down could be closer than expected, though, even with the final militia seeming more stubborn than ever. Recent tweets from Les Zaitz, a Senior Investigative Reporter for the The Oregonian, point to a situation that may be resolving itself sooner rather than later.
Jason Patrick, leader of the refuge occupants for 24 hours, is surrendering, according to Stewart Rhodes of Oath Keepers.
— Les Zaitz (@LesZaitz) January 28, 2016
Duane Ehmer, the Hermiston cowboy who has paraded his horse around the refuge, also has left the refuge, according to sources.
— Les Zaitz (@LesZaitz) January 28, 2016
Only a handful of occupiers remain at the refuge, and patriot groups are hoping to convince them to give up. Occupation may soon be over.
— Les Zaitz (@LesZaitz) January 28, 2016
Oregonian environment reporter Kelly House also has breaking details:
Several unmarked SUVs just passed me headed toward burns on the route out of the refuge. #Oregonstandoff
— Kelly House (@Kelly_M_House) January 28, 2016
As one of the most bizarre-sounding national news stories in quite some time, this prolonged standoff was bound to end in a similarly prolonged way. One last show of stubbornness can only be expected from Bundy’s crew.
(via The Hill)