BUNKERSVILLE, NV – Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy threatened a “range war” against Bureau of Land Management officials after federal agents arrested his son and impounded his cattle grazing on federal land after the government claimed that Bundy’s cows were “trespassing.”
Bundy’s dispute with federal land management authorities goes back over two decades.
In 1993, the feds modified Bundy’s allotment for grazing in order to protect desert tortoises. Bundy, whose family has been ranching in the area since the 1870s, refused to acknowledge the modified terms and has been allowing his cattle to graze in the area ever since.
Eventually, a judge enjoined Bundy’s herd from grazing on public lands, and authorized the government to impound the cattle. The federal government claims that Bundy owes them around a million dollars in grazing fees.
This weekend BLM rangers showed up with helicopters and snipers to seize the cattle and arrested Bundy’s son Dave, who was filming the police presence.
According to Bundy, when the cops were arresting his son, they told him “He was outside of the First Amendment area.”
According to Ryan Bundy, one of Cliven Bundy’s other sons, “He was doing nothing but standing there and filming the landscape. We were on the state highway, not even off of the right-of-way. Even if they want to call [the area that we were filming] federal land; which it’s not; we weren’t even on it. We were on the road.”
“They also had four snipers on the hill above us all trained on us. We were doing nothing besides filming the area.”
When asked to comment on the arrest, BLM spokewoman Kirsten Cannon said, “An individual is in custody in order to protect public safety and maintain the peace. The individual has rights and therefore details about the arrest will not be disclosed until and unless charges are filed.”
According to Bundy, the BLM personnel involved in the seizure are the same agents involved in the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old in February.
The government plans on auctioning off the cattle.
[about_joe]
The Libertarian Republic is giving away a replica of George Washington’s flintlock pistol. Click here to learn more and enter your email for a chance to win a model of our first president’s beautifully engraved firearm. Or simply enter your information below and you’ll be registered!
12 comments