Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Monday said that he hoped the armed militia that has taken over a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon will stand down, noting that individuals do not have the right to threaten use of force.
“Our prayers right now are with everyone involved in what’s happening with Oregon, and especially those in law enforcement that are risking their lives,” Cruz said when asked about the militia while in Iowa, according to NBC News.
“Every one of us has a constitutional right to protest, to speak our minds. But we don’t have a constitutional right to use force and violence and to threaten force and violence on others. And so it is our hope that the protesters there will stand down peaceably, that there will not be a violent confrontation,” the presidential candidate continued.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) also criticized the militia members on Monday, describing them as “lawless.”
The son of Cliven Bundy, Ammon Bundy, this weekend led an armed militia to take over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon, to protest federal government land management.
Watch the video from NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard:
.@tedcruz urges stand down in Oregon by those who have overtaken refuge headquarters pic.twitter.com/Q0z2I8TD8e
— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) January 4, 2016
