As standoff at the Malheur refuge drags on, government officials are taking note of the increasingly expensive law enforcement operations they say are necessary to keep the community, including their own families, safe from the threat of the outsiders who’ve taken over the refuge. The rural county sheriff has had to bring in help from nearby counties and they addressed the issue at a community meeting last night:
And Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson was at Monday night's community meeting in support of counterpart Sheriff David Ward, who issued a statement late Monday saying law enforcement "will not be intimidated" and offering tips to residents on "prudent safety measures" to avoid trouble. It's been a costly step-up in security and the like, according to Harney County Judge Steve Grasty, who put the cost at "$60,000 to $70,000 a day -- and we're gong to send Mr. Bundy the bill," he told the crowd of about 200. And he had a plea for the locals, and probably others as well: "No matter how you feel, do not bring food and supplies up to the refuge."
One of the outsiders present at the community meeting was the extremely obnoxious Pete Santilli, a Cincinnati man who hosts a show on YouTube for the rightwing conspiracy loving crowd. He has been live streaming the events in and around the refuge from the start. Although he claims to be media, he can often be heard on his broadcasts using “we” when talking about the protest, using his show to encourage people from around the country to drive to Oregon with their weapons to join the standoff, giving updates about the location of law enforcement directly to Ammon Bundy, delivering food to the refuge and generally helping in anyway he can.
At the high school where the community gathered last night to hear from local officials, Santilli rudely interrupted Sheriff David Ward, causing some in the crowd to yell out “Santilli shut up!” Next up was Oregon state Rep. Cliff Bentz, who gave a rundown of the history of the wildlife refuge, noting for the crowd that the land was legally purchased by the federal government from the company that his grandfather once worked for. He emphasized the land was legally purchased and was never taken from the ranchers (now the Native Americans? That is another story.) Rep. Bentz also ran down a growing list of crimes he believed Ammon Bundy and his crew had already committed. That was too much for Santilli, the loudmouthed Bundy supporter had to interrupt and the crowd turned on him in a big way—shouting “Shut up, Pete!” “Go home!” “Get out of here!” “You’re a fucking parasite, Pete!” Law enforcement then told him to leave as the insults directed at Santilli kept coming and the crowd erupted in wild applause. Watch from Santilli’s own live stream:
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Santilli and his brand new 10 gallon cowboy hat (that someone in the crowd also made fun of) headed out front of the high school to continue his whining rant about his rights and blah, blah, blah.
And last, but certainly not least, the militia men at the refuge sent out a couple of pleas for snacks and supplies. The people of America responded, sending care packages full of sex toys for the Oregon posse. Watch as they show off a few the dildos and assorted items:
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