The standoff in Oregon is gaining steam, but with the additional time that passes comes more attention and other groups looking to get involved.
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That’s exactly what happened this weekend as members of the “Pacific Patriot Network” arrived in a convoy of 18 vehicles from Oregon, Washington and Idaho. They were armed with rifles, handguns and bulletproof vests.
Their mission? To “de-escalate” the situation by offering security around the perimeter.
The only problem is that the organizer of the Oregon militia didn’t want them there at all. In fact he sent out a message to militias in the area that they didn’t need any help. Additionally, one of the original members of the militia said:”we want the long guns put away.”
The central concern of Bundy’s group was how the public would perceive such heavily armed reinforcements. A few hours later the convoy left.
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From CBS News:
BURNS, Ore. – A group of armed men from around the Pacific Northwest who arrived at a wildlife refuge on Saturday morning left several hours later after people leading an occupation of the refuge told them they weren’t needed.
Todd MacFarlane, a Utah lawyer acting as a mediator, said occupation leader Ammon Bundy and others were concerned about the perception the armed visitors conveyed.
“This was the last thing in the world they wanted to see happen,” MacFarlane told The Oregonian.
Bundy didn’t request the presence of the Pacific Patriot Network, he said, and has “tried to put out the word: ‘We don’t need you.'”
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