FBI seeks 'peaceful' end to armed standoff in Oregon

The FBI on Monday sought a peaceful end to the occupation by armed anti-government militia members at a US federal wildlife reserve in rural Oregon, as the standoff entered its third day.

The loose-knit band of farmers, ranchers and survivalists -- whose action was sparked by the jailing of two ranchers for arson -- said they would not rule out violence if authorities stormed the site, although federal officials said they hope to avoid bloodshed.

"The FBI is working with the Harney County Sheriff's Office, Oregon State Police and other local and state law enforcement agencies to bring a peaceful resolution to the situation at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge," the bureau's Oregon office said in a statement late Sunday.

Officials added that they would not release many details about the siege "due to safety considerations for both those inside the refuge as well as the law enforcement officers involved."

Dozens of protesters are believed to be holed up at the visitor's center for the reserve.

The demonstrators said they took over the building to show solidarity with ranchers Dwight Hammond, 73, and his son Steven, 46, who were facing imprisonment over fires they set on federal land in the area.

The protesters vowed to prolong the standoff for "as long as it takes" for the court to rescind its arrest order for the two men.

The Hammonds, however, have distanced themselves from the militiamen, and said they were planning to surrender to authorities as ordered on Monday.

"Neither Ammon Bundy nor anyone within his group/organization speak for the Hammond Family," said a statement from the family's lawyer W. Alan Schroeder, which was published in local media.

The local sheriff, David Ward, said the protesters' actual goal was "to overthrow the county and federal government in hopes to spark a movement across the United States."

A Gallup poll released last month shows a majority of Americans view "big government" as the biggest threat to the nation in the future, when asked to choose between that, big labor and big business.

The theme has been embraced by the Republican party's contenders for the 2016 presidential nomination, who so far have been relatively silent on the siege.

- Siege to last 'as long as it takes' -

So far, there has been no visible police presence at the reserve, where several militiamen in vehicles guarded the entrance while others kept watch from a lookout tower.

School was canceled in the area for the week, and the county courthouse said it would be closed Monday "for security reasons."

On the Internet, public opinion was divided about what was quickly dubbed the #Oregonstandoff, with some hailing the protesters and others branding the takeover an act of domestic terrorism.

One of the protest leaders is Ammon Bundy, the 40-year-old son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who was at the center of an armed, anti-government standoff with authorities in 2014 over grazing rights on public lands.

The younger Bundy, who spoke by phone to CNN on Sunday, called on the government to restore the "people's constitutional rights."

He and his brother Ryan, in addition to seeking freedom for the Hammonds, are calling on the federal government to relinquish control of the Malheur reserve.

The Hammonds were convicted of arson after lighting what they said was a controlled fire on their ranch in Harney County that spread, consuming 139 acres (56 hectares) of federal land.

But witnesses at their trial said that Steven Hammond had illegally slaughtered deer on federal property during a hunting expedition and then handed out matches in order to "light up the whole country on fire," according to a Justice Department statement.

Father and son each already have served several months for the offense, but a judge ordered them back to prison to serve the remainder of their five-year sentence, after they lost an appeals court review.

Source :AFP