Militia supporters stage protest in Prineville

From Burns to Prineville, protesters rallied Monday to demand justice for the death of LaVoy Finicum.

“Quite frankly, we’re outraged,” Prineville protester Ezekiel Robinson said.

The FBI released aerial footage of the traffic stop and fatal shooting at a news conference last Thursday after rumors and conflicting circulated on social media.

Ammon Bundy and several militia members were traveling on Highway 395 to Grant County when a traffic stop turned deadly.

While in Burns, those for and against the militia and the FBI’s presence loudly chanted, the smaller group in Prineville on Monday all had the same message.

“What happened to LaVoy was totally wrong — he was murdered in cold blood,” protester Tom Young said.

About 20 people lined the street in front of the Crook County Courthouse, waving an American flag and signs that included,”Corrupt government equals dead patriots,” and others that read “Go home FBI.”

Young said what he sees in the video does not justify the shooting.

“I think they can cover what they want in videos and stuff, and what I’ve seen is not enough to prove he was not murdered,” Young said.

The Deschutes County Major Incident Team is handling the investigation of the shooting involving officers from the Oregon State Police.

Ranchers at Monday’s Prineville event said the Bureau of Land Management doesn’t follow the rules they impose on land owners and are kicking them off their land.

“BLM themselves already have been overstepping their boundaries for far too long,” Robinson said.

For others, it’s not only about the ranchers rights but the rights of every American.

“It’s about all our rights I believe. If we don’t fight for them and stand up for whats right than who will,” Young said.