All across the nation last Saturday anti federal land activists protested what they consider to be wide -ranging federal government overreach. In Montana, the self-titled Citizens for Constitutional Freedom gathered in Lewistown.
John Degel, from Malta, is the organizer of the event. He addressed a crowd of about 20 people sitting on the bleachers at the baseball field in Symmes Park.
He expected around 100 people to show up.
“From what we were promised and what we got, it is kind of sad. But at least we had some people out here," Degel said. "And hopefully they’ll go back and start motivating the people.”
He says the rally served as a memorial service for LaVoy Finicum, the man shot and killed in January, during the weeks-long occupation of a wildlife refuge in Oregon.
They held a moment of silence for Finicum and then sang the national anthem.
The occupation stemmed from the arrest of Oregon ranchers over a fire that spread from their property onto land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management.
Degel says Saturday’s event was also a time for people to just vent about their frustrations with the federal government. And there were a lot of those.
“Um, the fishing, being able to, we used to go out and cut wood every year," Anita Harper from Lewistown said. "That used to be our family get together. And you can’t do that anymore without getting a permit from the government. Why? We own that land. Having to get a permit to drill a well, having to get a permit to build a house, I mean the whole thing is just stupid.”
“I’m here because I don’t like to see the American people being rounded up by the government," Phillip Hotchkiss from Malta said. "If you stand up against the government they are going to try and knock you down.”
Jared Wise is a veteran who has lived in Montana his whole life.
“If you’re a rancher and you’re using BLM land, you have to pay to basically lease the property to put your cows on it."
Wise says ranchers shouldn’t have to pay the government to lease land that already belongs to the American people.
“I’m tired of the federal government overreach on everything. Not just the land management." Cody Mikesell is from Whitefish.
“We are tired of not being heard," Jena Reno form Bozeman said. "We are tired of speaking and emailing and writing and calling our representatives and being completely ineffective, being ignored, having our emails ignored. Or flat-out being lied to.”
Many of the rally members said their movement is not about getting rid of the federal government; it’s about calling attention to, and ousting corrupt government.
It being a big election year, the citizens for constitutional change had different ideas on what candidates could help with their cause.
“I don’t like any politics personally, I think they’re all a bunch of (beep) liars," Cody Mikesell said. "They just tell you want they want, but Trump stands out because he is not afraid to tell people what he thinks. But then again, he is kind of a wild man, and so do you want him running the country.”
“If you vote for Sanders, you’re voting for Stalin," Phillip Hotchkiss said. "If you’re voting for Hillary, you’re voting for Hitler. It’s too communist. They want to take more rights away. The one I like just dropped out, I liked Ben Carson.”
“I’m kind of torn, weirdly, between Trump and Kasich," John Degel said.
“I don’t know as far as local politicians or even state politician if they’re getting involved or even looking at the issues,” Dane Peeples from Bozeman said.
“I don’t think it really matters who gets in," Jared Wise said. "Something is going to happen and it’s not going to be good.”
The nearly two-hour event lacked a focused discussion beyond general frustration at the federal government, but that is something the rally organizer John Degel says they can overcome.
“There is always going to be some lack of cohesiveness. But if we can get more of a mainstream feeling going, for one of the groups that really seems to be showing some strength and some dedication to the issues. It's just a matter of seeing who is going to be doing what.”
Even though the turnout wasn’t what rally-goers hoped for, Jared Wise sums up the general attitude of the group.
“It's going to pick up speed. I mean, the more people who stand up. The more people who talk. I mean, you see this little group. But there was rallies all across the U.S. today. They’re everywhere," Wise said. "People are standing up. The more people that see it, the more it's promoted and pushed, the more that they’ll come to their senses unless they’re too blind to see what is really going on.”
Wise said this whole movement could lead the way to something like the Revolutionary War.
The event organizer John Degel said their mission is to create change through ballots, not bullets.
The Montana group of Citizens for Constitutional Freedom hopes to meet again on the 4th of July.
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