BUNKERVILLE STANDOFF TRIAL: WHAT IS AT STAKE IN THIS CASE?

"I Ryan Bundy, a man sui juris, MOVE the Court to order or compel Plantiff to produce discovery regarding photographic and laser equipment used to surveil the Bundy home and American People who peaceably assembled between March 26, 2014 and April 12, 2014"

Defendant Ryan Bundy's motion of August 22, 2017 in Bunkerville Standoff case regarding FBI equipment seen overlooking Bundy Ranch

"....testimony elicited in court Friday revealed for the first time that the FBI had one surveillance camera perched on a hill overlooking the Bundy Ranch"

Maxine Bernstein-"Portland Oregonian/OregonLive"-November 3, 2017

"All we say to America is be true to what you're saying on paper.   If I lived in China or Russia or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand some of these illegal injunctions, maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges because they have committed themselves to that over there.  But somewhere I read of the "freedom of assembly",  somewhere I read of the "freedom of speech",   somewhere I read of the "freedom of press",  somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for rights......"

Dr.  Martin Luther King Jr.-Last Speech in Memphis April 3, 1968

"..economically I'm an arch conservative.  My attitudes towards the federal government, the federal structure.  I'm disenchanted like so many other Americans with that, its getting too big and cumbersome, unmanageable, filled with self serving and self-perpetuating bureaucracy that accomplishes too little for our money..........in terms of conservation of our natural resources, now here we get into the ultimate confusion, conservation, conservatism, coming from the same root word.   What are you if you believe in the conservation of our natural resources.   Are you liberal or conservative?....."

Montana native and NBC News anchorman Chet Huntley reflects on how big the federal government was growing and what it means to conserve natural resources on June 25, 1970 with Dick Cavett on ABC-TV

"In 2014 my family took a peaceful stand against government overreach and the people from across the nation came and stood by our side.  Our request throughout the whole protest was that it remain peaceful and it did.   Those people saved our lives that day against the heavy handedness of our federal government....

President Trump you remain silent.  Mr. Jeff Sessions, you said you were pleased with the prosecution.  Is this how you think the courts under your jurisdiction should be ran?   You, too, sir have disregard for the US Constitution as well as your oath of office.  Shame on you.   

Mr.  Zinke (Interior Secretary Ryan) you came to the Bundy Ranch and toured my ranch area.  You never reached out to us.  You said it was now out of your jurisdiction.  You were right.  We are part of the sovereign state of Nevada and you have no business in this great state.   However,  you claim over 89 percent of our land.  Who put us in the judicial courts.  You did.  And who can take us out of those courts,  You can sir.  You can drop all charges and it will no longer be in the judicial system.  Shame on you...."

Cliven Bundy's wife Carol Bundy speaks in a  video statement August 20, 2017

Protesters at Bundy Ranch in the spring of 2014 came to exercise their First Amendment rights to protest the federal government's seizure of Cliven Bundy's cattle in the midst of his fight with the federal government over the ownership of the grazing land.   Some protesters exercised their Second Amendment rights at the protest.

Back in Martin Luther King's day, the judges would issue a blanket injunction against protest. Nowadays the federal government just corralled the protestors in a "Free Speech Zone" as if they were cattle.

And then the protestors went to a wash near Bunkerville, Nevada on the morning of April 12, 2014 for the peaceful return by the Bureau of Land Management of Cliven Bundy's cattle.

Four men at the heart of the protest (Cliven Bundy, Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy and Ryan Payne) are on trial accused among other things of planning a "massive armed assault" on federal officers.

It was a fight that began in the 1980's with the enforcement of the Endangered Species Act in northern Clark County, Nevada.   All of Cliven Bundy's neighbors were driven out of business. but Bundy carried on contending the federal government did not own the land, but that the sovereign state of Nevada did.  

Cliven Bundy regularly sent his grazing fee checks to the government of Clark County, Nevada.

After many years of litigation, the BLM moved in to seize Cliven Bundy's cattle, claiming non-payment of grazing fees, leading to the protest and the standoff of April 12, 2014.

The fact that the prosecution and persecution of the defendants in this case speaks for itself.

Four men held without bail, not convicted of any crime, the process started by the Obama Administration's Justice Department continuing under the Trump Administration Justice Department.

On Tuesday morning November 7, 2017 the opening arguments are set to begin in the trial.