Ammon Bundy, one of the ranchers at the center of the 2014 Bundy ranch standoff with federal agents in Nevada, was arrested after he refused to leave the Idaho Capitol building on Wednesday.
It was the second time in two days that Bundy was arrested at the Idaho State House. Bundy was arrested on Wednesday after being banned from visiting the Idaho State House for one year after his Tuesday arrest, according to The Associated Press.
Idaho State Police arrested Bundy along with two others, Aaron Von Schmidt and Jill Watts, on Tuesday and charged each with misdemeanor trespassing. Bundy was slapped with another charge of resisting and obstructing law enforcement, according to the Idaho Press. Bundy was released from the Ada County Jail on Tuesday night after posting bail.
Bundy gained national attention in 2014 when he and other members of his family, including his father Cliven, took part in a standoff against federal agents with the Bureau of Land Management over years of unpaid grazing fees for their ranch in Nevada. Bundy again received national attention when he led a group and took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon in 2016, protesting what Bundy said was the wrongful conviction of two Oregon ranchers for arson.
Bundy had led protests at the Idaho Capitol building on Monday and Tuesday prior to his first arrest, apparently over a civil liability waiver bill being debated in the state House chamber. He had testified against the legislation on Monday in front of the state House Judiciary Committee.
“The Idaho people are more than capable of keeping themselves safe,” Bundy said, according to the Idaho Press. “We the people are tired. We are tired of government force, and we will only take it for so long. I recommend you act wisely, because we will not live in fear.”
His arrest was not over the legislation, however, but over “citizen journalists” being barred press credentials and being removed from the House hearing. He walked to the press desk, sat down, and refused to leave the chair. Police were eventually forced to roll him out of the Capitol in the chair he had commandeered in order to take him into custody.
Bundy was wheeled out the side door of the Capital and put in an ISP car #idpol #idleg pic.twitter.com/vmyYsGUyrw
— Ryan Suppe (@salsuppe) August 25, 2020
Republican Rep. Greg Chaney (R-10) may have been responsible for kicking out two of the citizen journalists over whom Bundy was protesting. During the hearing, Chaney told two people sitting in hearing room seats reserved for members of the media to vacate those seats.
“I’m not sure precisely what their goal is, but I’m absolutely sure that the two individuals whom I asked to leave were intending to create a scene,” Chaney said. “At times in the last 24 to 36 hours, this building has descended into complete chaos, and the only way to make sure that all citizens feel comfortable coming here to be heard is to make sure that we don’t allow rule deviations in general.”
Related: Trump Issues Pardon To Ranchers Whose Arrest Triggered Bundy Standoff