allen schauffler reports. >> the message is clear free the sthaik.they want to take down dams, big ones that generate hydroelectric power, create a river transportation corridor and cause problems for young salmon coming downstream and adult salmon coming up stream. supporters and opponents agree on that and almost nothing else. >> the cost of maintaining them are beginning to far outweigh the benefits they are providing us. >> all economic analysis show these dams are providing outstanding value to the inflation. >> fish passing ladders at every dam new slide systems for young fish new turbines like this one coming online that should be less harm many to the few small that spin through them. >> what we're doing for fish is working. >> we doing enough? >> i think enough. >> not enough say protesters. >> to mitigate for these four destructive dams isn't the way to do it. we ought to be looking at other options. >> sam mace and other dam activists say they're encouraged by dam destruction on the region and especially on washington's elwha river, finall

allen schauffler is in hines, oregon. what was the message that came out of today's meeting? >> to boil it down antonio, thank you, go home. freezing cold night in southeastern oregon but there were some heated emotions at the harney county building this morning, i estimate 500 or so, the basic take away is many people saying they would like to see an end to the takeover of the federal facility south of town and also many people saying they appreciate the fact that that armed takeover has sparked interest and discussion about land use measures, land use issues, around the west and around this country. so that was basically it. thank you for what you've done. now it's time to go. now the issues that are at the core of this case and the core of this protest are very important to the people who live in the wide open spaces of the western u.s. they may not be familiar to people in other parts of the country. but they are very important here. and here is a look at some of those issues through the eyes of a burns area rancher. oregon's harney county is a big place. bigger than mary

allen schauffler, al jazeera. >>> the mother of the after flew went sateen is bhak in court this morningon probation for that 2013 drunk driver incident that killed four people. tanya was extradited last week, her son is still being held. >>> up next, researching gun violence why something that seems to be so important has been so hard to come by. >>> all of us can agree that it makes sense to do everything we can to keep guns out of the hands of others who would try to do others harm or do themselves harm, because every year we are losing 30,000 people to gun violence. >> the president again pushing his executive actions to limit gun violence, trying to make the case for making a gun harder and more expensive to get. gun advocates say that there is a lack of research also about gun violence. congress prevents the government from studying the problem, because at the time the research was race-based, but now there is a new movement trying to change the policy before the president leaves office. >> reporter: this is in san francisco's waterfront. it is one of the most heavily touristed are

as al jazeera's allen schauffler reports, the origins of this dispute lie in just who owns the land.>> oregon's harney county is a big place, bigger than maryland and eight other states and the biggest property owner is the federal government. >> this is a very large geographic county. >> tom sharp runs a small cattle herd on a thousand cakier ranch here, all private land, which makes it easier for him than most. >> so to support one cow, you better have about 30-acres per cow to support the forge requirements for that animal there, so it takes a lot of land. >> to make the math work, many have to lease federal land and face government restrictions on water access, where livestock can graze, how fences are built, how fire prevention and suppression is handled and more. rules are required to protect water, and life in general. >> it sometimes feels as though we are being squeezed out because of issues and new regulatory measures that are imposed upon us. >> to survive, ranchers and farmers have to learn to deal with all of that and most do. those restrictions are at the core of the ca

allen schauffler is there. allen. >> these dams are a continuing source of tension between the government which runs them and the industries that benefit from them and environmental interests who want to see the dams demolished. and we can now point to some fairly large dam removal projects in the northwest that have brought some new energy to the opponents of those snake river dams. at this recent protest flotilla of ci kayaktivists, create a rir transportation corridor and cause problems for young salmon going downstream, and adult salmon coming upstream. several species are threatened or endangered. there are four dams along 140 miles of the snake river between the idaho border and the colombia in eastern washington. supporters and opponents agree on that and almost nothing else. >> the cost of maintaining them are beginning to far outweigh the benefits they are providing us. >> all results show that these dams are providing outstanding benefits for nation. they generate about $200 million worth of electricit

allen schauffler is in princeton tonight, allen. >> john there were plans afoot here this week. the folks who were occupying the malheur wildlife refuge, had a time, 7:00 p.m. local, but couldn't find a place. those plans have fallen apart. >>> two weeks after the occupation of a wildlife refuge in harney county oregon, friction grows between protestors and local officials. craig la follett is the mayor of the area. if. >> it is time to go home. we would like you to leave our community so we can get our lives back to normal. we are ready for you to go and please do that. >> we have all become used to the almost daily theater of protest. the defiant come and get us stance. the blowing of the biblical horn, the horseback flag-waving. but week, the group led by ammon bundy, said, the site of last week's emotional community gathering. chris briles is part of a self-appointed group trying to act as a liaison between the refuge and the town. >> what was wrong with that decision not to allow us to have a public meeting? it infringed upon my constitutional rights of free speech and my r

allen schauffler, who has been following the story joins us by phone. what can you tell us about the people involved in the shoot-out? >> well, this was something that happened about four this afternoon, 4:20, west coast time. it looks like five people arrested in one incident. this is on highway 395, north of the town of burns, they were on their way to another nearby town, about 80 miles north, where they were going to give a presentation. oregon state control and federal bureau of investigation needed to stop the folks somehow. shots were fired. we don't know whether shoot-out is the right word to use, yet, at all. just reports that shots were fired, and one person that they did have reason to believe was subject to federal probable cause rest is deceased. we have, we belief. one dead. two more arrested in separate incidents in the town of burns. ammon bundy, the leader of the group was among those arrested. he was slightly injured, receiving treatment. his brother also arrested. and the other names. brian, shawna and ryan gaen also arrested. that is

allen schauffler has a look at the sump in productivity. >> you can see that there, that probably wouldn't have been here in the past. >> mark webb runs blue mountains forest, a non-collaborative group formed 10 years ago. loggists, environmentalists, trying to find common ground. this area was logged heavily, and without much oversight for the land, for a century, environmental pressure gutted the industry in the '80s, and '90s. the environmental community litigated, shut us down. they impacted the livelihoods and what we knew and valued as a lifestyle. when it happens, it creates anger and distrust. >> less timber meant more growth, fuel for fires and beatle infestation. similar conditions exist across much of the 1.4 million acres. getting tree huggers and cutters to sit and talk is never easy. >> it doesn't happen until everyone's back is against the wall, until everyone is losing something. we weren't getting enough wood to stay afloat. our back was against the wall. the environmental community was losing in terms of fire, and insect damage. >> the forest partners use grant money for

allen schauffler, al jazeera, washington. >>> more to come for you on al jazeera this half hour.e'll be looking at why the kenyan government is under pressure to reveal the true number of soldiers killed in the al-shabab attack. >>> and we'll tell you who is making the news and who is bidding to win this year's sundance film festival. ♪ >> i'm russell beard in the sea of cortez mexico to explore the future of fish farming >> and i'm gelerah darabi in kapama park south africa where a specialist team of conservationists are fighting back against rhino poachers

reporter: he put up numerous videos and talked about the occupation earlier this month with our allen schauffler>> this grievance is widespread throughout the west. rrm the protesters seized the refuge on january 2nd, demanding federal lands be turned back over to local ranchers. as word spread of the shootout and the arrest, those still in the compound came online calling for reinforcements. ammon bundy had been talking with the fbi. it's believed the men were heading for a community forum when they were arrested. john henry smith, al jazeera. >>> and retired fbi special agent telling me on this morning that what happened was inevitable. >> any time you have a standoff like this, ultimately you want it to end peacefully, my guess is they were waiting for them to move away from the refuge. so they probably waited for this time to make -- to make -- to use this opportunity. >> also despite calls from inside the compound, he says he doesn't think things will escalate. he says that is not in the interest of the protesters or the government >>> a suit against flint says the city violated the safe wa

allen schauffler, al jazeera, outside of burns, oregon. >>> the new york city police department is promisingges after reaching a settlement over a controversial practice of monitoring muslims. john henry smith has that story. >> reporter: the report that the new york city police department had been monitoring muslims at mosques has sparked protest. and now a settlement in two of the three cases will mean tighter restrictions for the police. as part of the settlement, they will reinstate an independent attorney to monitor its intelligence unit. that's a role the department eliminated after 9/11. they agreed to place shorter time limits on its investigations and put in writing that investigation into religious or political activity have to be based on evidence rather than affiliation, and they having a agree remove a report from its website. the city of new york and the nypd will not have to admit any wrongdoing. they have long maintained they never acted on any information gleaned from those surveillance activities. in a statement, the aclu said we hope the reforms help make clear that effect

numerous videos on his youtube page and talked about the occupation earlier this month with our allen schauffler>> this grievance is widespread throughout the west. >> reporter: the armed protester, seized the wildlife refuge on january 2nd, demanding federal lands be turned back over to local ranchers, as word spread about the shootout and the arrest, those still in the compound went online, calling for reinforcements. aman bundy had been talking with the fbi over the past few days. it is believed the men were heading for a community forum when they were arrested. >> a retired fbi agent spoke with al jazeera this morning. he says what happened was inevitable. >> any time you have a standoff like this, ultimately you want it to end peacefully. my guess is they were waiting for them to make a move away from the refuge where they would get better opportunity to make arrests without putting anyone in danger. so they probably waited for this time to make -- to use this opportunity. >> despite calls from inside the compound, lanza says he doesn't think things will escalate, and he says that is not in

allen schauffler is at the wildlife building with new developments. >> the leader of the group tonight said that they are taking a defensive stance, and they certainly are. road range material has been built in to block the road to the administration buildings that are occupied. we are seeing armed presence that we haven't seen before, and take a look at the video. one man taking an emotional stand. drawing a line in the snow, believing that the arrest may be imminent. saying he'll wait by the road, armed for federal marshals to come out and serve a warrant if that's what they'll do. it seems that the broader complicated issues of land use management in the west and around the country are coming to a head in remote oregon. >> reporter: an infrastructury of activity at the wildlife refuge tuesday night, as the leader claimed to have intelligence that there are warrants out for five of his groups holding an emotional press conference. >> we feel we cannot leave. this is too important of an issue. >> i am, and these men that have been here - we refuse to pass this on to our children. this

allen schauffler, al jazeera, washington. >>> more to come for you on al jazeera this half hour.e'll be looking at why the kenyan government is under pressure to reveal the true number of soldiers killed in the al-shabab attack. >>> and we'll tell you who is making the news and who is bidding to win this year's sundance film festival. ♪ some kind of rapport. in fact, as mr. rouhani was traveling to the airport to flow rt to flow ♪ >>> welcome back. you are watching al jazeera. a recap of the top stories. a nationwide curfew as been imposed in tunisia where there has been widespread protests over a lack of jobs. the president addressed the nation, and says the country's stability is being targeted. >>> at least 45 people including 17 children have died trying too cross the aegean sea to greece nchlts >>> and the east coast of the united states is now bracing for a huge blizzard. in washington, d.c., up to 60 centimeters of snow is forecast to fall. we get more now from jay gray from virginia for us. jay how are people there coping? >> reporter: well, it's a tough go right now, and

allen schauffler is on the ground and has this report. >> a spokesman told us specifically not to expect a lot of guns and any questions about hall of fame how many protest ears here were love the unanswered during our 45 minute tour of the national wildlife refuge property that this group walked into and took over. >> how's it going so far? >> it's an emotional roller coaster. it's up and down, yeah, but it's going great. there's no bloodshed. this is not a violent or hostile situation. >> there are 15 or so buildings here, dozens of idle government trucks, swamp boats for the marshes and heavy equipment. we took video through a window of people prepping food. we didn't visit every building but were allowed to roam on our own and saw no signs of damage or vandalism. >> we want to be polite, we want to be neighborly. we want to be citizens. we want to be respectful of one another. >> he is an arizona rancher who has emerged at one of the group's main spokesperson. >> where do you see this ending? >> i believe it shall spread from here. this grievance that they're dealing with here is wid

let's take you to the capitol, washington, d.c., and speak to our correspondent allen schauffler. e people preparing for the blizzard? >> reporter: this is lunchtime in the center of washington, d.c. normally this road would be dumper to dumper traffic, so you can -- [ audio lost ] >> allen trying to tell us about the snow that is about to arrive, but we're having trouble with sound. >>> north korea says it has detained a u.s. student for committing a hostile act and wanting to destroy the country's unity. he entered the country on a tourist visa. harry fawcett has more from seoul. >> reporter: this news came through on the north korean state media, kcna saying that north korea has detained a student for a supposed hostile act against the state. also this media report saying that that act was tolerated and manipulated by the united states government. the u.s. embassy here in seoul is only saying that it has confirmed that it has seen these media reports. it's referring any other questions to the state department in washington. but there has been some crab corroboration from a tour

al jazeera's allen schauffler joins us live from burns, oregon and allen you've spoken to these protestors why are they doing this? >> well, they have chosen the occasion of the resentencing of these two ranchers from this area, the hammonds father and son. they will now be serving five year minimum prison terms for arson convictions dating back in one case to 2001. so three have chosen that occasion to take too stand with what they say is overreach of the federal government the way ranchers and farmers can manage their lands. spefl arounspecifically around y county. listen to why amon bundy. >> people have been abused long enough really. their lands and their resources have been taken from them to the point where it's putting them literally in poverty. if we do not make a hard stand, that we will be in the position where we won't be able to as a people. >> the government has beat us and oppressed us and taken everything from us. they will not stop until you tell them no. >> reporter: i was out at the site today and the people who were there acting as spokespeople were calm, they were poli

allen schauffler is outside of burns, oregon tonight. allen. >> reporter: john, here at the site of the occupation, a lot of talk, a little bit of show and tell, and not much real action, but we got a tour today, our first good look at the new home of the group calling it's a the citizens for constitutional freedom. a spokesman told us specifically not to expect a lot of guns, and any questions about how many protesters are here were left unanswered during our 45-minute tour of the property that this group walked into and took over. >> reporter: how is it going? >> it's an emotional roller coaster. it's up and down. and it's going great. there is no bloodshed. >> reporter: there are 15 or so buildings here, dozens of idol government trucks, swamp boats, and heavy equipment. the spokesman told us this is one of the sleeping quarters. we didn't visit every building, but were allowed to roam on our own, and saw no signs of damage or vandalism. >> we want to be polite, neighborly, citizens, we want to be respectful of each other. >>> this ran

as al jazeera's allen schauffler reports, it's shedding light on a logging industry that's been laggingades. >> hardy county was once a thriving timber area, in the 1970's had the highest per capita industry in oregon. environmental groups and government regulation brought it almost to a halt. doug is the control technician at lewis and clark machine, a company that makes its money buying and selling milling equipment. >> there's so much resistance to logging anymore, and watch the movies, you know, have you ever seen a good logger? my kids watch movies, people that log are terrible, they dry the land, they kill everything. >> he's frustrated with the way federal lands are managed, saying current practices are bad for the timber industry and everyone. >> they're overgrown with brush and when they have a fire, used to be they could put a fire out in 10, 15,000 acres maybe if it was bad. now 100,000 acres almost normal. >> he's frustrated with the tactics of environmentalists. >> it's always their way or the highway. with them, there's no win for anybody but them. >> just up the road in g

allen schauffler is in hines, oregon with to report. allen. >> john, 500 or so people have turned out. we'll roll video of the activity inside the memorial haul insides the fair ground. many have stood up to say they support the concept, the cause that these people have taken over this property. they need support for land use and land management here in the west but also many, many people saying thank you for wake us up, we can take it from here, indicating that this community, a large portion of it anyway would like them to wrap it up and go home and end the occupation out at the refuge. we'll see if that bearsfully fruit at all. i want to talk real quickly here to merlin roop. a man who has ranched here for 70 years. merlin you have been out to talk to the people at the refuge. >> i have. >> do you think you've woken people up here and if it's going to translate into action? >> i don't know what's going to take place but they have woke.people up. everybody wants them to go home. they need oturn the hammonds loose and then they can go h

aljazeera's allen schauffler is live for us in burns, oregon, and having said that, allen, what is really at stake here? >> reporter: well, tony, what's at stake in the short-term is public safety and what is at stake in the broader term, land management in the country and especially here in the west. at the occupied federal offices, trucks rolled in and out this morning. the group which took over the facility, seeing that as an indication of community support. >> we appreciate the advice that the community members have given us about how to reach out and how to share our message, so that other community members will know that we're not about fear, we're not about force. we're not about intimidation. >> but nearby burns is a town split by the protest. you'll find signs of opposition posted in places, and many say that the cause may be important. but the tactics are wrong. jake mesa came to the protest monday night to get answers, worried about what the long-range plans are, and what could happen here. >> we're not comfortable with a widespread invitation of militia unvetted coming here to

allen schauffler, in burns, oregon.nk you. >> the rancher's who's legal case has been the source of this protest, turned them in today to begin a second prison sentence for fires set on federal land. stephanie has that part of the story for us. stephanie? >> reporter: yeah, good afternoon to you, tony. the ranchers involved say they did not ask these protesters to demonstrate on their behalf. now they came here earlier today, around 1:30 pacific time. we are at the federal prison to turn themselves in. they were brought here by family members who live in the los angeles area. they were convicted of arson in 2012 in connection with two separate fires on federal land, land they leased for their ranching operation. arson carries a five-year minimum sentence, but the judge imposed lower sentences for the men. dwight served three months, his son, a year. but another judge vacated the lesser sentence upping it back up to the minimum. his wife and cousin spoke on her family's behalf today. she said they have been spending time

. >> allen schauffler, thank you. >>> a professor at an evangelical college could soon be losing her job for declaring that muslims and christians pray to the same god. >>> and plus, el nino has begun to hit california. and this is only the beginning. when you're on hold, your business is on hold. that's why comcast business doesn't leave you there. when you call, a small business expert will answer you in about 30 seconds. no annoying hold music. just a real person, real fast. whenever you need them. so your business can get back to business. sounds like my ride's ready. don't get stuck on hold. reach an expert fast. comcast business. built for business. >> in california, there are new fears tonight that the state may be on the brink of its worst natural disaster in years. after record droughts, heavy rains are hitting much of the west coast, and there of been three strong storms in three days. jacob ward joins us from france, and you said it before, dried out land can cause mudslides and even worse, and is this what it's all about? >> that's the issue here, there's this tension, an

. >> al jazeera's allen schauffler joins us live from burns oregon, and you have spoken to the protesters. why are you doing this? >> well, they say that the government has been on the backs of ranchers, loggers, minors, throughout the west in recent decades. the government has been chipping away at the ways they can use their land and they want to the call attention to that and put a stop to it. they say that this doesn't get much press, now it's going to. i spoke with ayman bundy. he was calm saying he wants is to be peaceful and wants the government to know until ranchers get back to ranching and minors to mining, they are not going anywhere. he's convinced they are here to stay. >> people have been abused long enough, really. their lands and resources have been taken from them, to the point where it's putting them literally in poverty. if we do not do something. if we do not make a hard stand, then we will be in a position where we won't be able to as a people. >> an important point to make, the two ranchesers going to federal prison will turn themselves in voluntarily tomorrow. they

as al jazeera's allen schauffler reports, the origins of some dispute lice in just who owns the land.oregon's harney county is a big place, beinger than maryland and eight our states and the biggest property owner is the federal government. >> this is a very large geographic county. >> tom sharp runs a small cattle herd on a thousand cakier ranch here, all private land, which makes it easier for him than most. >> so to support one cow, you better have about 30-acres per cow to support the forge requirements for that animal there, so it takes a lot of land. >> to make it work, many have to lease federal land and face government restrictions on water access, where livestock can graze, how fences are built, how fire suppression is handled and more. rules are required to protect water, and life in general. >> it sometimes families as though we are being squeezed out because of issues and new regulatory measures imposed upon us. >> to survive, ranchers and farmers have to learn to deal with all of that and most do. those restrictions are at the core of the case being made by the armed grou

allen schauffler spent some time with the protesters. >> reporter: a spokesman told us specifically notpect a lot of guns, and any questions about how many protesters are here were left unanswered during our 45-minute tour of the national wildlife refuge property that this group walked into and took over. how is it going? >> it's an emotional roller coaster. but it's going great. there's no bloodshed. this is not a violent or hostile situation. >> reporter: there are 15 or so buildings here, dozens of idol government trucks, swamp boats, and heavy equipment. the spokesman told us this is one of the sleeping areas. we took video of people prepping food but were not allowed into the kitchen. we were allowed to roam on our own, and saw no signs of damage or vandalism. >> we want to be polite and neighborly. we want to be citizens and respectful of one another. >> reporter: where do you see this ending? >> i believe it shall spread from here. this grievance that they are dealing with here, is widespread throughout the west. this is not going away. >> reporter: we saw nobody carrying a weapo

he put up numerous videos and talked about the occupation earlier this month with our allen schauffler. >> this grievance is widespread throughout the west. this is not going away. the armed protesters seized wild lie emissions. >> those in the compound went online calling for reinforcement. >> we need the patriots to get hear. >> ammon bundy had been talking with the fbi, it's not clear where the notions stood. it's believed they were heading for a community forum. >> al jazeera's katherine barrett has been covering the stand off and joins us on the phone from seattle. do you have any details on what happened yesterday to lead to these arrests. and where does the occupation go from here. >> well, stephanie, where it goes from here remains on open question. obviously from what we understand the two main leaders of the movement have been removed, ammon bundy by arrest and lavoie finighan dead, the fbi has not confirmed his identity. it's been widely reported. it's far from clear whether the arrests and the death will discourage the remaining few who occupy mellor, or pardon their resolv

allen schauffler, al jazeera, idaho. >> from movie star to real life hero. >> actor jami fox saved ae. >>> one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. >>> jami fox saying he's not a hero even though a lot of people would call him one. >> he pulled a man from a burning car after it crashed in front of his house. the victim was rushed to the hospital. fox showed kyle's father the security camera video of the crash. the dad said the actor saved his son's life. >> it doesn't matter to me who it was or what they do for a living or whatever, just the idea that someone would do that is so much more than i can fathom. >> i just look at it like, you know, i just had to do something, you know, and it all just worked out. >> you see how emotional the dad is there. brett kyle was arrested for driving under the influence, though. his family said he suffered a broken collarbone which in turn punctured his lung. he would have been in much worse shape if fox had not been there to help. >>> the outrage over the lack of diversity with the oscars. george clooney said i don't think it's who