The leader of a band of militants occupying a federal government building in Burns, Oregon told reporters at a Sunday press conference that they are there "to defend the people."
Ammon Bundy and a group of reportedly about 15 people broke off from a larger protest on Saturday where people demonstrated against the impending imprisonment of two ranchers convicted of arson. The militants drove to the unoccupied Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters and on Saturday Bundy said they're prepared to stay there for "years."
“We have plenty of supplies, plenty of people bringing in supplies," Bundy told reporters during a press conference on Sunday (see video below).
#bundymilitia supplies head into blocked off camp. Appears to be fuel, food, hiking boots. #burnsoregon pic.twitter.com/yXWfmEu7AJ— Amanda Peacher (@amandapeacher) January 3, 2016
Supply room at the #Bundymilitia Malheur refuge takeover. pic.twitter.com/hnJW1sqqbY— Amanda Peacher (@amandapeacher) January 3, 2016
Bundy also put out a call for people to join his band of militants, and said they would not be "aggressive."
When asked whether the militants would respond violently if police tried to forcibly remove them, he said they would determine that "on a case-by-case basis."
Bundy's militants are demanding that the government release control of the Malheur National Forest, and are demanding that the ranchers not be sent to prison.
At the press conference, Bundy said no law enforcement have so far tried to contact him.
On Sunday night, though, Oregon State Police said that a joint command center for federal, state, and local law enforcement would be set up Monday morning.
.@ORstatepolice told OPB a joint command ctr of fed, state, local law enforcement will be set up Monday. #bundymilitia #burnsoregon— Amanda Peacher (@amandapeacher) January 4, 2016
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Land Management has announced its regional office in Burns, Oregon will be closed indefinitely.
The BLM district office in Burns, Oregon, is closed until further notice.— BLM Oregon (@BLMOregon) January 4, 2016
UPDATE (Wed. Jan 6, 2:45 p.m. ET): An earlier version of this story included tweets from an account purporting to be Ammon Bundy. That account has since been revealed to be fake.