CREDIT:
Rancher Cliven Bundy stands along the road near his ranch after speaking with media Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, in Bunkerville, Nev.
The occupation of a federal building in Oregon has turned into a family feud, pitting Ammon Bundy against his father, Cliven.
The leader of the armed militia occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Ammon Bundy, has been arrested and he’s publicly calling for the remaining militants to leave. A statement purportedly from Ammon Bundy has been posted to his lawyer’s website:
We will have more to say later but right now I am asking the federal government to allow the people at the refuge to go home without being prosecuted.
To those remaining at the refuge, I love you. Let us take this fight from here. Please stand down. Go home and hug your families. This fight is ours for now in the courts. Please go home.
According to local reports, there are just four militia members still occupying the refuge and they are interested in leaving. They aren’t interested in going to jail, however.
Just 4 remain at the refuge: David Frye, husband and wife Sean and Sandy Anderson, and Jeff Banta. #Oregonstandoff
— Amelia Templeton (@ameliaOPB) January 28, 2016
Spoke with the 4 by phone a few minutes ago. They say they want to leave, but fear arrest. #Oregonstandoff
— Amelia Templeton (@ameliaOPB) January 28, 2016
“We’re here, and we’re worried we’re going to die,” Sandy Anderson said.
Back in Nevada, however, Cliven Bundy is encouraging those remaining at the ranch to keep fighting.
“We are going to have to fight this battle over and over if we give up right today,” the elder Bundy told KSNV.
Cliven Bundy led a standoff with federal officials in 2014 over unpaid grazing fees. Law enforcement elected to stand down in order to avoid bloodshed. The grazing fees, now in excess of $1 million, have still not been paid.