California: The leader of an armed standoff at a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon has been indicted along with several of his followers, including the four still holed up at the site, authorities said Thursday.
Ammon Bundy, who was among 12 people arrested last week in relation to the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, faces charges of intimidation or threats and conspiring to impede federal officials from performing their duties through the use of force.
The siege at the refuge began on January 2 when Bundy and some 30 armed followers, most of them from other states, took over the refuge to protest federal land policies.
Among the occupiers was Jon Ritzheimer, an Arizona man who gained notoriety for organizing anti-Islam demonstrations and LaVoy Finicum, who acted as spokesman for the group and was killed by police after he drove out of the refuge and tried to run a roadblock.
Among the four still at the refuge and refusing to surrender is David Fry, who has vowed to stand his ground.
"If they (the FBI) want to turn it into another Tiananmen Square, then they can," he told the online radio station The Watchman News, urging Americans "to rise up in number."
"There are going to be consequences," he added.