There is more to the story of the organizing of the Oregon militants, several months earlier

[Jim Beard]

Months before Malheur occupation, another Oregon land dispute galvanized militants

"""Another event just nine months ago drew far less attention. But those who watched it closely say it emboldened and further galvanized the militant movement a year after the 2014 Cliven Bundy ranch standoff in Nevada.

Oregon's first serious encounter happened last April. It played out in rural Josephine County in southwestern Oregon, in a mountainous stretch of timber country along the Rogue River.

Many of the same players have shown up at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Two are among the compound's occupiers.

The Sugar Pine Mine dispute started when two gold miners, Rick Barclay and George Backes, received a non-compliance letter from the Bureau of Land Management that disputed their mining rights.

A federal employee looking for abandoned mines found a cabin and equipment on the site near Galice, northwest of Grants Pass, that a spokesman said didn't fit under the allowed uses. Before extracting gold, they'd need the right approvals.

The miners believed they already had what they needed – a mining claim Barclay said predated even the bureau's formation.

Though the federal notice allowed for an administrative appeal, Barclay told The Oregonian/OregonLive in an interview he feared the agency would ignore it and torch his cabin and destroy his mining equipment. He said he wanted due process.

The federal agency said it had no plan to move on the site, describing the notice as routine."""

Quite a lot more in the article. They keep practicing but maybe public opinion will "Vote" them out

[phantom power]

1. "A growing movement gathered more momentum."

Every time these thugs win, their movement will become harder to stop. This is not de-escalation.

Everything I've seen at Malheur tells me their going to win this one too.