Ammon Bundy, an anti-government extremist and militiaman, led a protest outside the home of a police officer who arrested an anti-vaccination mother for defying stay-at-home orders.
Bundy, 44, and dozens of protestors rallied outside the home of an officer in Meridian, Idaho, to fight against what they believe is government overreach amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Cell phone footage of the incident showed at least four officers standing guard outside the driveway while the protestors gathered in the street.
‘There was a woman at a park with her children and she was arrested! Completely inappropriate,’ Bundy screamed at officers, according to Huff Post.
Ammon Bundy (right) led a protest outside the home of a Idaho police officer after an anti-vaxxer mother who defied stay-at-home orders
‘The people will not allow you guys to do this long – for very long. You will not go into the park and arrest people!
‘You will not go into parks and arrest mothers, and you will not go anywhere and arrest us for exercising what our rights are.’
Bundy was referencing the arrest of Sara Walton Brady, 40, a prominent anti-vaxxer who was arrested at a local park after taking part in a protest against stay-at-home orders.
At least four police officers stood outside the home while Bundy condemned authorities for arresting Sara Walton Brady
Bunday (pictured): ‘You will not go into parks and arrest mothers, and you will not go anywhere and arrest us for exercising what our rights are’
Brady was in the shuttered playground section of Kleiner Park with her children just before 4pm.
The rally was organized by the Idaho Freedom Foundation – a conservative organization dedicated, according to its website, to depleting ‘the power of special interests and free people from government dependency.’
The group has been vocal in its opposition to Idaho Governor Brad Little’s stay-at-home order and has been staging peaceful protests at various locations closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Ammon Bundy (pictured) best known for his part in the occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016 where he was arrested and given federal charges
According to the Meridian Police Department, on Tuesday, the demonstrators removed metal signage and caution tape announcing the playground closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Brady is pictured in her booking photo taken at the Ada County jail on Tuesday
Brady and the other people were repeatedly told the playground area was off-limits and invited to use other parts of the park if they so chose.
Brady refused to leave and continued arguing with the officer, prompting him to give her ‘5 seconds’ to clear the playground area. Brady’s arrested for a misdemeanor trespassing charge.
Brady, who is married to Boise police detective Tim Brady, was released from the county jail Tuesday evening, just in time to attend a massive protest organized by the Idaho Freedom Foundation outside the Meridian City Hall.
Some 100 people showed up carrying homemade signs demanding ‘freedom.’
Brady is the founder of the group Idahoans for Vaccine Freedom.
In 2017, she made headlines when her then-five-year-old son was denied admission into kindergarten over an immunization exemption, and she demanded a public apology from officials.
Following her arrest, some 100 people gathered outside the Meridian City Hall to stage a protest against the coronavirus restrictions
Brady (pictured) was released from jail in time to attend the Tuesday evening rally
Following Brady’s arrest, a GoFundMe was titled ‘Buy Booze for the Officer’ was created by local Randell Sweeney to ‘buy booze for the officers and staff that had to deal with the supreme Karen.’
Sweeney told Idaho Statesman: ‘It really started out as kind of a joke. I just thought it would be a cool way to give back and say thank you for dealing with the supreme Karen.’
The GoFundMe raised $474 before Sweeney closed the fundraiser.
‘If I left it open till today, it’d probably be at 2,000 bucks. … The cops are going to have a good ol’ time,’ Sweeney said.
Protestors outside the officer’s home said they were upset with the state’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
‘The police force needs to know … the innocent and law-abiding citizens of Idaho do not take kindly to our rights being stripped away from us,’ one protestor said.
A list of grievances with the officer and the arrest were taped onto the front door.
Another video shared to Twitter showed Bundy leading the same protestors to the home of Idaho Gov. Brad Little, who implemented the state’s stay-at-home orders.
As angry protestors questioned why Little didn’t answer and one man held a ‘Brad Little is a disgrace’ sign, Bundy taped another paper listing his grievances with stay-at-home orders on the front door.
Bundy (pictured) taped a list of grievances with Idaho’s stay-at-home orders on the front door of Gov. Brad Little
These are Bundy’s latest attempts to convince Idahoan officials to loosen restrictions on social distancing orders and stay-at-home guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bundy previously hosted a crowded Easter Sunday church service in spite of state stay-at-home orders.
Idaho has recorded 1,802 confirmed coronavirus cases and 54 deaths.
Lindsay Schubiner, program director at the Western States Center, said Bundy’s public demonstrations were ‘reckless’ and deliberately challenged authority.
‘He is directly challenging law enforcement and the rule of law. His message to law enforcement is clear — if you enforce public health rules you will have a crowd of angry, armed protesters on your lawn,’ Schubiner told Huff Post.
‘It is beyond reckless to violate common-sense public health regulations in the midst of a pandemic, and it is truly unfortunate that Bundy is putting his own supporters at risk.
‘But for Bundy, the COVID-19 pandemic is an historic opportunity to recruit supporters and spread his extreme anti-government views.’
Bundy’s protest fall in line with a larger right-wing movement across the United States that is demanding state governments to end stay-at-home orders.
Protestors in Austin, Texas, screamed ‘fire Facui’ in a targeted chant against Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top immunologist and infectious disease expert
Pictured: Members of the Boogaloo Movement, attend a demonstration against the lockdown over concern about COVID-19 at the State House
Pictured: A demonstrator holds a sign at the Virginia State Capitol while protesting the coronavirus lockdown
Anti-lockdown protests have appeared in several states over the past two weeks, including Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and California.
Protestors in Texas yelled ‘fire Fauci’ in a targeted chant against Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top public health expert in the White House task force.
Many protestors claim their rights have been stripped away because of the coronavirus outbreak and called officials attempts to curb the disease unconstitutional.
President Trump egged on the protests when he called for Democratic governors to ‘liberate’ states like Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia.
Pictured: Ammon Bundy (center) prays during an Easter Sunday church service he organized despite concerns over the coronavirus disease in Emmett, Idaho
Many of the residents who attended the anti-lockdown protests ignored social distancing guidelines.
Bundy is best known for his part in the occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016.
He and his brother, Ryan Bundy, were eventually acquitted of federal weapons and conspiracy charges for their role in leading the occupation.
Bunday, his three brothers and father were also arrested in 2014 for an armed standoff with authorities at the family’s ranch in Nevada.