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Remaining occupiers of Oregon wildlife refuge staying vigilant
By Nicholas K. Geranios and Martha Bellisle
Associated Press

BURNS, Ore. — Four people occupying an Oregon wildlife refuge continued to hold their position Saturday and posted live videos that reveal their hypervigilance against federal officials who might try to move them out, while 11 others who were arrested last week remained in custody.

During one early morning video posted by a man identified as David Fry, the occupiers express concerns about nearby aircraft, and Fry gets jumpy when he believes he hears gunshots near the entrance.

“False alarm,’’ he then said after realizing the noise came from a generator or some other type of equipment.

“We’re not dead yet,’’ he said, repeating a theme that he and others have expressed through the weeks of the occupation. They’ve said they will only leave if given immunity from prosecution and are ready to die defending their position.

Ammon Bundy, the principal leader of the group that seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge nearly a month ago, and others used the platforms to summon recruits to join their takeover.

Court documents against the 11 occupiers under arrest show FBI agents have scrutinized social media postings, interviews, and online talk shows that have been made during the standoff that began Jan. 2.

Bundy and several other jailed leaders appeared Friday in federal court in Portland, where a judge denied their release. US Magistrate Judge Stacie Beckerman said Bundy, his brother Ryan Bundy, and Ryan Payne pose a danger to the community, and she is concerned they would not follow orders to return to Oregon for criminal proceedings.

The only woman arrested so far in the standoff, Shawna Cox, will be allowed to go home while her case makes its way through the court system. But Beckerman said that won’t happen until after the armed occupation ends.

Ammon Bundy’s lawyer, Lissa Casey, said her client is not aligned with those remaining at the refuge near Burns and wants to go back to his family in Idaho.

“He is done in Harney County; his message has been sent,’’ she said.

Court documents detail some of the evidence against the occupiers, including a memorandum filed by prosecutors Friday arguing against releasing defendants before trial. The charges against the defendants say the refuge’s 16 employees have been prevented from reporting to work because of threats of violence.

“As the armed group’s unrepentant leader, [Ammon Bundy] has consistently and publicly expressed support for an armed occupation that has endangered, and continues to endanger, many people,’’ the document states.

A criminal complaint filed last week makes reference to an online video that showed Bundy saying the group planned to stay for several years.