Pete Santilli and his new microphone in Oregon

LaVoy Finicum (also known as blue tarp man) hosted the Oregon militia’s daily press conference at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. Ammon Bundy was noticeably absent, perhaps off meeting with "constitutional" sheriffs trying to rally them to his cause.

Finicum was asked by a man in attendance (not sure if he was a reporter or a supporter, they mingle together at these daily gatherings and lob their own militia-friendly questions) what his feelings were about Harney County residents reportedly feeling intimidated by the FBI, being pressured to not show support for the occupiers because of the FBI presence. Finicum responded by exclaiming it was “time for the FBI to go home!” That’s rich, right? The man from Arizona occupying a federal wildlife preserve in Oregon telling the FBI to go home.

Anyway, Finicum’s response sparked a crazy rant from Pete Santilli, the man running around with a “press” pass who’s essentially been embedded with the militia men from the start. Although he claims to be independent media, he can be seen and heard on his daily live streams helping Bundy—sharing the whereabouts of law enforcement, bringing food and supplies, issuing repeated calls for people to grab their guns and head to Oregon to his conspiracy-loving crowd. Indeed, many of the new faces that have appeared at the armed protest in recent days are people who’ve said they were inspired to join because of Pete’s call to action. Well, today Pete leaves no doubt that he is is part of the occupying force. After Finicum’s call for the FBI to leave Harney County, Santilli angrily called for people to get to Oregon, outsiders and locals alike, to surround the FBI’s temporary compound at the Burns airport. Watch as he dares the FBI to put a gun to his head:

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Pete did slow it down a bit and say that he was calling for people to leave their guns at home and bring flowers. Nonetheless—this would appear to be a serious escalation in a thus far peaceful (although armed and felonious) protest. And whether it is part of his act as the militia joker is irrelevant. Pete Santilli has been hanging around outside the refuge at night with the heavily armed Idaho III%-ers, who also recently confronted the FBI (sans guns in their hands) at the FBI compound.

And why wouldn’t they? These men feel emboldened because nothing happened to them when they held federal agents at bay in Nevada during the Bundy Ranch standoff. Later in the same live stream, Pete Santilli was bragging that nothing happened because the local sheriff ended up telling federal agents to leave. And they did. And to this day, nobody was ever charged, Cliven Bundy did not pay his $1million+ in back due grazing fees and the BLM land remains open to his cattle today. And that is exactly why Ammon Bundy is trying to rally those same militia-friendly sheriffs to Oregon. And don’t look now, but it’s working.

So while Ammon Bundy may have a calming tone, a slight drawl to his speech and not outwardly showing any weapons on himself, don’t be fooled—he is surrounded by heavily armed people. And they appear to be itching for a fight.