The occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge building in Burns, Oregon by a small group of armed men has entered its fourth day with neither the occupiers nor law enforcement making any major moves.
It is, some fear, an indication that both sides are settling in for a long wait.
At a midday press conference on Tuesday, occupation leader Ammon Bundy thanked residents of the community for their support and supplies, specifically calling out those who had dropped off snacks and even a particularly delicious pot of soup to help sustain the occupiers.
Bundy and fellow occupier LaVoy Finicum vocalized support from the local community, insisting they were not a threat or trying to intimidate any in the community by their holding of the federal building.
Local community caught in the middle
That Bundy and Finicum would hail members of the community and claim their support isn't a surprise after comments on Monday afternoon by Harney County Sheriff David Ward.
Speaking to media, Ward noted that the militia members participating in the occupation were from outside the community and, citing the protection of local community members as his highest priorities, called on the occupiers to leave.
Sheriff to militia: The Hammonds have turned themselves in, it is time for you to leave, go back to your families, end this peacefully.— Mashable News (@MashableNews) January 4, 2016
Ward addressed the militia directly, saying, "You said you were here to help the citizens of Harney County. That help ended when a peaceful protest became an armed and unlawful protest."
On Monday night, though, Ward also posted a video to the sheriff office's Facebook page, addressing the community and providing more details about law enforcement's plan as well as prepping locals for the presence of other law enforcement agencies in the area.
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));In a new video message, Sheriff Ward talks to the public about outside agency patrols in #HarneyCounty -- and shares a few words of thanks and encouragement.Posted by Harney County Sheriff's Office on Monday, January 4, 2016
In an extensive interview published Tuesday afternoon, Ward also confirmed militia members would face charges once the ordeal comes to an end.
In thanking the community on Tuesday, both Finicum and Bundy insisted they were there to assist the people of Harney County and were not partaking in intimidation.
Bundy: Also appreciate community members who have advised group on how to spread their message. "We're not about force... intimidation"— Mashable News (@MashableNews) January 5, 2016
Bundy: "We do have a plan... We are implementing this plan... We see a time coming very soon when the community will participate in that"— Mashable News (@MashableNews) January 5, 2016
Finicum even showed some politician-worthy spin when asked if the group should be considered "domestic terrorists," saying that real terrorists inflicted fear -- he insisted the occupiers had done no such thing.
On term "domestic terrorist," Finicum says "What is terrorism? When someone is put in extreme fear. Who here has been put in extreme fear?— Mashable News (@MashableNews) January 5, 2016
He then turned the question around, suggesting it was the government who, by virtue of inflicting fear of imprisonment on to ranchers like the Hammonds, should be considered the terrorists in this situation.
Conflicting reports of plan to cut power
The Guardian reported Tuesday morning, citing an unnamed federal official based in Washington, D.C., that the US Park Service was planning on cutting off power to the federal building the militia is occupying. The source said, “It’s in the middle of nowhere. And it’s flat-ass cold up there.”
However, the official admitted he was uninformed on any plans by the FBI and later local media reports, citing other authorities, claimed the Guardian was perhaps the victim of misinformation.
I've heard from 2 officials now that the @guardian report power will be cut is *NOT* accurate. No plans known to cut power to #bundymilitia— John Sepulvado (@JohnLGC) January 5, 2016
and @USFWS tells @opb that they have heard of no plan to cut power to building, which they own. https://t.co/CWTMAB7gw0— John Sepulvado (@JohnLGC) January 5, 2016
At the Tuesday press conference, Finicum responded to a question about a possible cut of power, saying "I hope not... the pipes would freeze."
It's believed that, with incidents at Waco and Ruby Ridge in mind, law enforcement will actually take a more cautious, wait-and-see approach with the militia.
Bundy Twitter account suspended
Throughout the standoff, a Twitter account purporting to be that of Ammon Bundy has been used to promote the groups's goals, clarify stances, and even correct people who mistook the criticism of "BLM" (in this case, the Bureau of Land Management) for "Black Lives Matter.
But the account, which was never officially confirmed as Bundy's, was suspended by Twitter, though the social media network hasn't given a detailed reason.
Asked why the account was suspended, a spokesperson at the company said he couldn't comment on individual accounts but pointed Mashable to the site's "Rules."
On Wednesday, though, it became clear that the account was, in fact, fake, a random user impersonating Bundy for not other reason than to apparently dupe media.
Little support from elected officials
While Bundy and Finicum cited community support, it seems local elected officials are less enthusiastic about the militia's presence. Oregon Public Broadcasting spoke with a trio of local officials -- state representatives Bill Post and Greg Walden (both Republicans) as well as U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat, who all voiced concern over the standoff.
Said Post, “I think there’s an element of them that are literally looking for something to happen, kind of hoping something will happen."
Rep. Cliff Bentz praised local law enforcement for "doing all that they can to manage the Bundys' self-serving, attention-grabbing efforts in a way that prevents Harney County from becoming a rallying cry for every anti-government person in America."
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, speaking at his daily press briefing, referred to the standoff as a matter for local law enforcement but noted federal officials were keeping an eye on the situation.
Oregon governor Kate Brown issued her first statement on the standoff on Tuesday, saying, "Although the FBI is the lead agency responding to the situation, my top priority is the safety of the people of Harney County and the City of Burn... I look for a swift resolution that allows Harney County life to return to normal."