http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/us/oregon-malheur-wildlife-refuge-bundy.html 2016-09-12 19:06:12 Trial to Begin in Standoff at Oregon Wildlife Refuge Seven antigovernment protesters charged in the armed takeover of a national wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon earlier this year will go on trial on Tuesday. === PORTLAND, Ore. — The trial of Ammon Bundy, his brother Ryan and five of their followers, antigovernment protesters charged in the armed takeover of a national wildlife refuge earlier this year, will begin here on Tuesday in a federal court. The takeover, at a remote eastern Oregon reserve, began Jan. 2 and lasted nearly six weeks, starting a national debate about homegrown right-wing militias, public lands and constitutional rights. The defendants face conspiracy, weapons and theft charges. In all, 26 people have been indicted. One protester was On Jan. 2, a small group of members of a right-wing militia group adopting the name Citizens for Constitutional Freedom — the number grew as In daily briefings with reporters, Ammon Bundy said the group acted against what he called unconstitutional federal land management policies that infringed on the rights of citizens. His softly spoken rhetoric echoed terms of a simpler, earlier America, where individual effort on the land counted for all, and government’s business was to stay out of the way. But guns, on hips and in the arms of lookouts, were ever-present. As they were en route to a community meeting on Jan. 26, where they hoped to persuade local ranchers to join their cause, Mr. Bundy and seven others were A grand jury indicted 26 members of the group on various charges, including conspiracy to impede federal employees from performance of their duties, which is punishable by up to six years in prison, as well as weapons charges and theft of government property. Eleven defendants have reached a plea deal with prosecutors; charges were dropped against one defendant earlier this month. The trial of seven other defendants is scheduled for February. In Oregon, as in many Western states, the majority of land Cliven Bundy