Ammon Bundy supporter Pete Santilli, who occasionally masquerades as a member of the press, was really itching for a fight over the weekend. Santilli continued his highly confrontational ways by accusing a environmental protester, there to counter-protest the siege of the Malhuer Wildlife Refuge, of being an FBI agent. He loudly accused the man for the militants to hear, pulling up photos on his laptop to show the crowd. At one point the man put his hand in his pocket (it was exceedingly cold that day) and several armed men can be heard screaming for him to take his hands out of his pockets. Watch the tense confrontation below and read on why this is so dangerous on all fronts:
First of all, let this video be a lesson to all environmentalists who have considered going to the refuge to counter protest. Don’t. Just don’t. These people are on edge, heavily armed, looking for a fight. You are putting yourself in harm’s way and/or risking the possibility that you could be used as human shields. Remember, these people have professed a willingness to die for this cause. And they mean it.
Secondly, Pete Santilli has a history of unnecessarily escalating situations and leveling accusations. He’s confronted and bullied people in the city of Burns, agents at the FBI’s temporary compound, Oregon Public Broadcasting reporters and national reporters from the New York Times and MSNBC. For whatever reason, Pete Santilli seems hellbent on personally escalating an already tense situation.
Finally, toward the end of the video, you can hear a group singing. That would be Odalis Sharp and 7 of her 10 children (at least one was taken by Child Protective Services in 2011), who were nearby the tense situation, bringing vocal harmony to the armed militants. Odalis Sharp and her children made their way to Oregon from Kansas to lend support to the militants, who she believes are doing God’s work. Odalis Sharp and her children are veterans of armed standoffs, she also brought her children to Nevada to participate in the standoff at the Bundy ranch. With the arrival of her brood, there are now at least 9 children confirmed to be at the refuge. The other two children belong to a married couple, both ardent Bundy supporters, who’ve been involved in the armed standoff from the very beginning. Amanda Preacher from Oregon Public Broadcasting was able to confirm the children were there over the weekend. They also took part in the Nevada standoff at the Bundy ranch.
Watch Odalis Sharp give glory to God and lead her children in song and prayer upon their arrival:
So, there you have it. Pete Santilli escalating an already bad situation to the point of people putting hands on their guns, all with the sound of children singing nearby.