Coeur d’Alene Memorial Rally Draws Large Crowd
The western states drew supporters from all walks this weekend as they hosted multiple Memorial Rallies for LaVoy Finicum.
Finicum died from gunshot wounds during a ‘traffic stop’ by the FBI and Oregon State Police along highway 395 north of Burns, Oregon. He had been traveling with a group to the town of John Day, in Grant County, to discuss the Bureau of Land Management’s handling of public lands in Oregon.
Rallies were hosted from Washington to California to Utah, and drew hundreds with the message that Finicum shared until his death on January 26, 2016.
Finicum believed that the Federal government illegally controls land in the United States. He shared his view that public lands should be managed by the state and local governments, and the people that live there. The Malheur Wildlife Refuge was a prime example of this belief. During the occupation, the group called the Refuge the “Harney County Resource Center.”
Saturday saw over 50 supporters drawn to a rally in Couer d’Alene, Idaho. Starting south of Interstate 90, the rally traveled through the city, crossing the highway north and continuing along major streets and roadways.
They encountered other supporters and encouragement from passers by.
The group was a mixtures of many groups, including Oath Keepers and Three percenters, as well as individuals wanting to share their grief at the loss of LaVoy.
Most of them had not met Finicum personally, but they felt they knew him through his videos and speeches as the spokesman for the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom. The group began an occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge on January 2, 2016.
One supporter brought decals of Finicum’s ‘Brand’ and it is becoming a symbol throughout the Patriot movement. Many are now sporting this symbol on their vehicles and social media pages.
The site where the shooting took place has become a memorial to Finicum and his cause. It was learned after the rally that vandals had destroyed it, stealing the decorations and items that had been placed there.
The Pacific Patriots Network has offered a reward of $500 for the return of the items.
