Oregon protesters harassing police, sheriff says

[cali]

Since those occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge came to town, there has been an increase in the number of "vandalism, harassment and intimidation reports," Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward said.

"There are continual reports of law enforcement officers and community members being followed home; of people sitting in cars outside their homes, observing their movements and those of their families; and of people following them and their families as they move around the community," Ward said on Monday.

"While not direct physical threats, these activities are clearly designed to try to intimidate," he said.

Some of the armed protesters have been able to leave and return from the refuge center during the occupation.

"Let me be clear: The law enforcement agencies -- those that are local as well as the sheriff's deputies from around the state, the Oregon State Police troopers and the FBI agents -- will not be intimidated from doing their jobs.


<snip>

Ward says that both law enforcement and employees for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which runs the refuge, have been harassed recently.

He says Fish and Wildlife workers have seen vehicles driving slowly or idling in front of their homes.

<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/12/us/oregon-armed-protesters/

[longship]

1. I know that they are treading a thin line.

However, this is a clear exemplar of a violation of law. The question is, when does one execute the law? And what hind side is one willing to accept?

It is a not good situation, no matter how one looks at it.

And yup! These guys are utter jerks.

[phantom power]

2. Maybe if "law enforcement" enforced some laws, this would stop

Just tossing that out there...

[CanonRay]

4. Spot on!

[DetlefK]

3. "Will not be intimidated from doing their jobs." - AS IF THEY ARE F**KING DOING THEIR JOBS!

- breaking and entering
- armed sedition
- threatening federal agents
- theft (of utilities)
- computer fraud and abuse (by logging into computers without clearance)
- vandalism (they took down a fence)



I'm REALLY looking forward to the press-conferences of the FBI and cops when this is over.



Here's an idea:
1. You take a few of those SWAT-teams the cops use to break up poker-parties for illegal gambling.
2. You put them into those wheeled tanks the cops use to intimidate black protesters.
3. You drive them up to the compound and park them on the doorstop of the militants.
4. You start tossing around tear-gas-grenades until you can no longer see the hand in front of your face.

[phantom power]

6. No kidding, they clearly ARE intimidated from doing their jobs.

[Takket]

7. +1

This all could very well be over now, but law enforcement's refusal to even confine these terrorists to the refuge building is giving them free reign to do whatever they want in town. if they had isolated them to begin with, they probably would have gotten cold & hungry and left on their own.

[Bettie]

9. Wait, you can't do that

because these are armed white men. Laws don't apply to them, not anymore, apparently.

[jalan48]

10. Obama is black and our President. He has the power to do something about this.

[Bettie]

12. You'd think that, wouldn't you?

But nothing is being done.

Now, the fact is that no matter what the President does, it will be seen as wrong and tyrannical by those who see him taking a walk or breathing as tyranny. However, something should be done.

I'm not holding my breath though. I no longer believe that laws will ever be enforced on assclowns like the ones in the Bundy Bunch.

[jalan48]

14. He's been hounded since he took office.

He has a year to go. Who cares what the right wing nuts think at this point. I can imagine how someone who lives in that community feels. They look out their window and there sits an unidentified person in a car watching their house. A person who at this point is basically a para-military operative, free to do as he chooses.

[Bettie]

16. And as that person in your home

say, a Federal employee who works at the refuge, you can't even be sure there would be an arrest if that guy watching you broke into your home and killed you and your family, because, given current evidence, they are 100% above the law.

Apparently, there are some who believe that these nutjobs should be coddled and treated with kid gloves.

[jalan48]

17. I don't. I think they are all a bunch of Neo-Fascists.

They can't win at the ballot box so it's time for a coup d'etat they say. Mix some guns, religion and racism together and this is what we come up with.

[Bettie]

18. Agreed

Now, our government agencies need to take some action. Even if it is as simple as setting up a perimeter and saying "No" when they want to get out or when the press wants to get in.

People keep saying "well, what is more arriving Militias shoot at the people at the barricades?". Yeah, that's a crime.

Letting these clowns win this battle will give them confidence that they can indeed take whatever they please. What's next? Whatever they decide they want.

[jalan48]

19. Agreed also. We are emboldening them to break the law and intimidate our citizens.

I'd like to ask our President and Governor (I live in Oregon), what's the plan?

[CBGLuthier]

5. Meanwhile if a young black man literally looks at a cop wrong he can die.

Only thing better than being white in America is being a dumbshitkicking white asshole.

[yellowcanine]

8. They are getting personal identity information from files at the wildlife refuge.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/call-supplies-oregon-standoff-enters-week-36209625
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/01/post_230.html

They are accessing files not only of employees but of ranchers who have grazing permits.

They likely are sharing this information with others who are using it to stalk and intimidate people.

They have also destroyed a fence to which protects the refuge from cattle grazing.

They are clearly going to be on the hook for some serious felonies such as criminal trespass, invasion of privacy, and identity theft. I don't see how the FBI can allow this to continue for much longer. Innocent people's lives might now be in danger from the criminal activities of this gang.

[MohRokTah]

13. Not a single one of them will be arrested.

Nobody was held accountable when they actually pointed loaded semi-automatic assault weapons at federal agents.

Nobody will be held accountable for this round of terrorism.

[yellowcanine]

20. I disagree. The situations are quite different. Wait and see.

No point in speculating either way.

[MohRokTah]

21. I've been waiting and all I see are rightwing trerorists winning.

And the feds won't lift a finger to stop them. They proved that at the Bundy ranch.

[davepc]

11. They want to provoke the police into attacking them.

That's their goal.

[jalan48]

15. How are we told to deal with bullies? That's what these folks are.