A group of US militiamen reportedly angered by the jailing of two ranchers occupied the headquarters of a federal wildlife reserve in Oregon on Saturday, local authorities said. The militiamen took over the facility following a rally earlier in the day for Dwight Hammond, 73, and his 46-year-old son Steven, The Oregonian newspaper reported.
The ranchers, who already served minimal jail time on arson charges after lighting what they said was a controlled fire on their property that spread to government land, were ordered to return to prison after a judge ruled their sentences had been too lenient, according to local media. The pair, who were accused by prosecutors of starting the blaze to cover up hunting violations, were sentenced to around four years each in jail on top of the time they had already served - three months for the father and a year for his son, according to local media.
Following the demonstration by around 300 people Saturday in the town of Burns, a group of protesters advanced on the federal reserve 50 miles (80 kilometers) south-east of the town.
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