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|
 Citizens for Constitutional Freedom logo | |
| Owner | Ammon Bundy |
|---|---|
| URL | People for Constitutional Freedom: |
| Current status | Online |
Citizens for Constitutional Freedom (C4CF), later also known as People for Constitutional Freedom (P4CF), was the name taken on January 4, 2016, by an armed private U.S. militia that occupied the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in the U.S. state of Oregon from January 2 to February 11, 2016.[1][2] The leader of the organization was Ammon Bundy,[1][3] son of Cliven D. Bundy, who engaged in a standoff with the federal government over grazing rights on federal land.[4][5]
Eight of its members, including Ammon Bundy, were arrested on January 26, 2016[6] while a ninth member, Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, was shot and killed by law enforcement officers.[7][8] This was followed by a number of other arrests that eventually culminated in the end of the occupation.[2] A total of 27 people were charged under federal law with a variety of offenses, including a single count of felony conspiracy.[9][10][11] Their trials were scheduled to start on September 7, 2016, and February 14, 2017.[12][13]
During the occupation, the militia group claimed that the United States Constitution allows the federal government of the United States to own only a small amount of land, and that the government can acquire land in states only with the state's consent.[14] Such claims have been repeatedly rejected by federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court; the property clause of the United States Constitution grants plenary authority to Congress to manage federal property, including land.[15][16]
- ^ a b Moore, Wanda; Lerten, Barney (January 4, 2016) [1st pub. January 3, 2016]. "Militia leader explains takeover, says group has name". Bend, OR: KTVZ. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "Oregon standoff: 4 holdouts all in FBI custody as occupation ends (live updates)". The Oregonian/OregonLive.com. February 23, 2016 [1st pub. February 11, 2016]. ISSN 8750-1317. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
- ^ Casey, Lissa; Arnold, Michael (April 27, 2016). "Defendant Ammon Bundy's Motion (and Incorporated Memorandum of Law and Authority) to Continue the April 27, 2016 Deadline, or Alternatively to Sever and Set an Immediate Trial Date" (PDF). Retrieved July 6, 2016.
Mr. Bundy was the leader of the Malheur protest because of his commitment to certain basic Constitutional principles.
- ^ Kliegman, Julie (January 4, 2016). "The armed Oregon protesters are now calling themselves Citizens for Constitutional Freedom". The Week. New York: The Week Publications, Inc. ISSN 1533-8304. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
- ^ "Oregon militia in standoff with feds names themselves". CBS News. New York: CBS. Associated Press. January 4, 2016. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
- ^ Smith, Emily (January 28, 2016). "Malheur refuge occupation arrests: What happened and what happens next?". CNN. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
OregonFinicumwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Perez, Evan (January 28, 2016). "Oregon occupiers: What officials say happened at traffic stop". CNN. Atlanta, GA. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
- ^ Berman, Mark; Sottile, Leah (February 24, 2016). "Oregon refuge occupiers plead not guilty as prosecutors say more people could be charged". The Washington Post. Arlington, VA. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Bernstein_New-six-countwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "FBI Arrests Another Defendant in Oregon Standoff". Portland, OR: Oregon Public Broadcasting. Associated Press. April 6, 2016. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ Wilson, Conrad (April 6, 2016). "Malheur Refuge Occupiers' Trial Date Set For Sept. 7". Portland, OR: Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ Bernstein, Maxine (July 26, 2016). "Second trial in Oregon standoff case set to start on Oregon's birthday, Valentine's Day". The Oregonian/OregonLive.com. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
- ^ Johnson, Kirk; Pérez-Peña, Richard; Eckholm, Erik (January 4, 2016). "Cautious Response to Armed Oregon Protest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016. "A version of this article appears in print on January 5, 2016, on page A12 of the New York edition with the headline: Occupying Federal Land, to Little Response."
- ^ No, federal land transfers are not in the Constitution. Gray, Bryce. High Country News, 4 February 2016. Although challenged periodically in court, federal application of the Property Clause has been consistently supported in a chain of legal precedent that extends back to 1840.
- ^ Public Land Transfer Laws: Not Constitutional Then, Not Constitutional Now Archived 2017-10-08 at the Wayback Machine. Graybill, Raph. American Constitution Society, 11 March 2015