Success: Feds Arrest Oregon Militia Occupiers

Target: FBI Director James B. Comey

Goal: Applaud the FBI for finally acting to end the occupation of a wildlife refuge by violent militia members.

The destructive standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon is finally coming to an end thanks in part to pressure from petitions like ForceChange’s End Damaging and Costly Occupation of Wildlife Refuge. Local police with the aid of the FBI have arrested eight individuals involved in the occupation of a federal building at the refuge. Unfortunately, it seems that one man was killed in a shootout.

The FBI gave the rest of the militants until the next morning to surrender. Many of the occupiers have reportedly already fled. The militia occupation of the Malheur refuge has been a disaster from the beginning. It’s cost the state of Oregon over $100,000 and the militia members have made it impossible to maintain the wildlife refuge while bulldozing and desecrating Native American lands and artifacts.

This never should have gone on as long as it did, but at least it’s finally ending. This kind of behavior, which is really domestic terrorism, cannot be tolerated over the ability of the government to keep land to protect animals that can’t protect themselves–and it never would be if these individuals were people of color. Sign our petition to thank the FBI for finally ending this farce and urge them to never again let something like this happen for so long.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Director Comey,

I understand that you’ve finally moved to end the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by a group of domestic terrorists calling themselves a militia. I appreciate that this farce of a situation is coming to an end, but it’s taken far too long. They were allowed to stay there for more than a month while you “negotiated” with people who clearly had no intention of negotiating or surrendering.

During that time, these terrorists tampered with artifacts that are part of the history of the local Native American tribe after bulldozing carelessly over their land. There’s no telling what damage their presence did to the wildlife that was supposed to be protected in this refuge. Furthermore, the occupation cost the state of Oregon over $100,000 in extra law enforcement costs that could have been used for programs that help the poor and hungry.

I thank you for ending this damaging occupation, even if it did take far too long. I urge you to take action much faster in the future should more situations like this crop up, just like you would have if people of color or Muslim individuals had taken over and occupied a federal building, threatening violence if anyone tries to stop them.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo credit: Cacophony