Photo: Jim Urquhart/Reuters

They came armed with their shotguns and pistols, and whatever other pieces of weaponry these right wingnuts have. They descended on the ‘Bundy Ranch’ as its being called in social media – lands that in fact, belongs to the federal government.

Their mission? To help the cattleman Cliven Bundy defy a court order to vacate the lands owned by the government.

Back in 1998, Cliven Bundy, a cattle herder from Navada was ordered by the courts to remove his livestock from federal land known as the Bunkerville Allotmen. Bundy was also ordered to pay $200 a day per cattle if he did not follow the court order. Bundy refused to and continued his grazing activities.

Then in October 2013, fifteen years later, another order from the court was given. This time, Bundy had 45 days to comply. He again refused, in fact, Bundy expanded his grazing activities to include other federally owned lands. A third court order was issued pointing to this fact.

According to the third order;

“Bundy’s cattle have moved beyond the boundaries of the Bunkerville Allotment and are now trespassing on a broad swath of additional federal land (the “New Trespass Lands”), including public lands within the Gold Butte area that are administered by the BLM, and National Park System land within the Overton Arm and Gold Butte areas of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.”

After 15 years and multiple court orders demanding Cliven Bundy vacate federal lands, Rangers – under the authority of the court and armed with stun guns – began rounding up and removing the livestock.

Last Saturday, 352 cattle were impounded and that was when all he’ll broke loose!

They came out of the woodsheds. Armed right-winged Republican nuts, lovers and defenders of the constitution, came determined to help Bundy defy a constitutionally protected court order.

“We provide armed response,” said Jim Lordy, who belongs to the militia group called Operation Mutual Aid. He continued, “[w]e need guns to protect ourselves from the tyrannical government!”

Other militias like The Oath Keepers also promised to send support to the lawbreaking cattle herder.

It worked.

The latest update from Montana is that “the government has suspended their enforcement action because militia activity was posing a danger to employees and the public.”

Bundy, emboldened by this “win” is however taking things a step further. He wants the Rangers rounding up the cattle to disarm. And furthermore, he is demanding that they leave their weapons with him. He gave them 1 hr to comply.