Heavily ARMED Protesters Occupy and Destroy Federal Buildings in Oregon

Heavily ARMED Protesters Occupy and Destroy Federal Buildings in Oregon.

On January 2, 2016, an armed group of armed right-wing extremists seized and occupied the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon, and continued to occupy it until law enforcement made a final arrest on February 11, 2016. Members of the group were loosely affiliated with non-governmental militias and the sovereign citizen movement.

Safes were found to have been broken into, with money, cameras, and computers stolen by the militants. The militants vandalized the property, which local community leaders characterized as an attempt to provoke violent confrontation.They were also found to have badly damaged tribal artifacts. A subsequent estimate stated the cost as at least US$9 million, including US$2 million spent relocating employees who had been threatened by the militants, US$2.3 million on federal law enforcement, US$1.7 million to replace damaged or stolen property and over US$3 million spent by Oregon government agencies.