Angry Compatriots Demand Release of Idaho '3 Percenters' Arrested for 2014 Bundy Ranch Activities
Calling them 'political prisoners,' a small crowd gathered in Boise to protest last week's FBI arrests of Bundy defenders in the wake of the Malheur standoff.
Angered by of four of their fellow antigovernment 鈥淧atriots鈥� by the FBI last week, a collection of several dozen protesters in Boise on Friday to demand freedom for their comrades in arms.
Their signs largely voiced their message:
听鈥淚II%: We Still Believe in the Constitution鈥�
鈥淪tand For the Constitution 鈥� Know Your Rights鈥�
鈥淔ree Our Patriots鈥�
鈥淔ree Eric Parker鈥�
It was Parker,听in particular,听on the minds of the gathered 鈥淧atriots.鈥� A 32-year-old electrician from Hailey, he was among arrested last week in a nationwide sweep of suspects accused of crimes originating with the armed standoffs with federal agents and rancher Cliven Bundy and his sons and their defenders, first in Nevada in April 2014 and then in Oregon in January of this year.
Parker made a national name for himself by in the direction of the federal agents and other law听enforcement officers who were attempting to execute a federal court order directing the Bureau of Land Management to round up Bundy鈥檚 cattle. He also appeared at one press conference with Ammon Bundy after the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge began听on Jan. 2.
Parker also was heavily active with 鈥�3 Percent of Idaho,鈥� the antigovernment听organization听also involved in would-be federal standoffs in Oregon and Montana, as well as virulent anti-refugee protests in southern Idaho. Parker, the group鈥檚 vice president, appeared with several of the organization鈥檚 leaders at a number of its rallies and was heavily involved in its ventures into the Oregon and Montana situations.
Along with Parker, three others -- Steve Arthur Stewart, 36, of Hailey, O. Scott Drexler, 44, of Challis and Todd Engel, 48, of Boundary County --听were arrested on charges related to the Nevada standoff. Their defenders argued that all four were being held as 鈥減olitical prisoners.鈥�
Speakers at Friday鈥檚 gathering insisted that Parker was acting in self-defense when he lay prone on the asphalt behind a jersey barrier on the overpass near the Bundy Ranch and trained his high-powered rifle on the law enforcement officers gathered at the scene of the standoff 鈥� an image celebrated in T-shirts that many of them wore. Another T-shirt read: 鈥淩edneck Lives Matter.鈥�
The speakers included Brandon Curtiss, president of 3% of Idaho; B.J. Soper, president of Pacific Patriots Network, the militia organization that had been heavily involved in the Malheur standoff; and libertarian activist Ryan Davidson, who urged the crowd to change party affiliations and run for office. The others all urged the Idaho Legislature to intervene on behalf of the arrested men.
The anonymous organizer, who identifies himself as 鈥�,鈥� spoke to the crowd as well, donned in camo green.听He ardently denied that the four men under arrest were 鈥渆xtremists,鈥� adding: 鈥淟et鈥檚 go ahead and call them what they are: they鈥檙e political prisoners. They are in jail for their political beliefs. They are in jail because they are willing to stand up to the federal government.鈥�
He continued: 鈥淭hey鈥檙e trying to shut us up. And right now, we鈥檙e gaining momentum. We鈥檙e gaining every week now in Idaho. They鈥檙e trying to shut us up. So why we鈥檙e here today is to prove they can鈥檛 shut us up. They can come arrest me, but you guys will be up here next.鈥�
He added: 鈥淭hey need to know -- for every one of us they arrest, a hundred more will stand up. We will be out here Saturday, we will be out here every day that we need to be.鈥�
As the protesters prepared to wrap up, they heard a recording of a rewritten version of the popular hit from The Hunger Games, 鈥淭he Hanging Tree,鈥�, the 鈥淧atriot鈥� martyr of the Malheur standoff:
Are you, are you
Just going to let it be
The ranchers are first
But brother next it may be me
We all stand together
Or we鈥檒l hang separately
Are you, are you
Going to the tree
When the song had finished, everyone retired to the Capitol Rotunda to sing the National Anthem.
听
