--- title: Let's Call the Oregon 'Protesters' What They Are: Terrorists description: Armed antigovernment extremists seizing federal property and expressing a desire to kill and die is a textbook description of domestic terrorism canonical: https://time.com/4166975/oregon-protesters-terrorists/ author: Ibrahim Hooper article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-05T14:34:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:56:38.999Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Let's Call the Oregon 'Protesters' What They Are: Terrorists og:description: Armed antigovernment extremists seizing federal property and expressing a desire to kill and die is a textbook description of domestic terrorism og:url: https://time.com/4166975/oregon-protesters-terrorists/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52fb2125ad8a2d93/69887778bc6cfc22333db0f4/oregon1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3250 og:image:height: 1828 og:image:alt: Members of a small militia at the entrance to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge Headquarters property some 30 miles from Burns, Ore., Jan. 3, 2016. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Let's Call the Oregon 'Protesters' What They Are: Terrorists twitter:description: Armed antigovernment extremists seizing federal property and expressing a desire to kill and die is a textbook description of domestic terrorism twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52fb2125ad8a2d93/69887778bc6cfc22333db0f4/oregon1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Let's Call the Oregon 'Protesters' What They Are: Terrorists > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=d139baa6-22ce-421e-b2fd-7e8da5a6bf87&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 430,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 50.7% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=d139baa6-22ce-421e-b2fd-7e8da5a6bf87&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=d139baa6-22ce-421e-b2fd-7e8da5a6bf87&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. It reaches 430,000 subscribers with a 50.7% open rate as of August 2026. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: Militia Members Take Over Wildlife Refuge Building In Oregon [Watch (HLS stream): Militia Members Take Over Wildlife Refuge Building In Oregon](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QpvLpgvd.m3u8) (0:56)  _Published 2016-01-03. After the re-sentencing of two Oregon ranchers for arson on federal property, an Idaho militia group showed up to protest._ by [Ibrahim Hooper](https://time.com/author/ibrahim-hooper/) ## Ibrahim Hooper Jan 5, 2016 2:34 PM UTC  Militia members at the entrance to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters' property some 30 miles from Burns, Ore., on Jan. 3, 2016 Militia members at the entrance to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters' property some 30 miles from Burns, Ore., on Jan. 3, 2016 Rob Kerr—AFP/Getty Images by [Ibrahim Hooper](https://time.com/author/ibrahim-hooper/) ## Ibrahim Hooper Jan 5, 2016 2:34 PM UTC Form this mental picture: armed Muslims take over a federal building in the U.S. and announce their willingness to “[kill or be killed](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/oregon-militia-fbi%5F568a831ae4b0b958f65c1bfa).” Now imagine the government and media response. One would expect an immediate and massive law-enforcement reaction, with minute-by-minute media analysis detailing the religious and political background of the “terrorists.” Now look at the reality of the ongoing situation in Oregon, in which armed militiamen have taken over a federal building and have announced their willingness to “[kill or be killed](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/oregon-militia-fbi%5F568a831ae4b0b958f65c1bfa).” Those taking part in the takeover apparently include anti-Islam extremist Jon Ritzheimer, who has organized armed rallies outside American mosques and who was recently the cause of an [FBI alert](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/fbi-warns-ny-police-anti-islam-arizona-man-article-1.2448001) after he allegedly threatened New York Muslims. Prior to joining the Oregon standoff, Ritzheimer even [posted](http://www.abc15.com/news/national/jon-ritzheimer-organizer-of-various-anti-islam-rallies-appears-in-oregon-protest-videos) what would otherwise be labeled a “martyrdom video” in which he seems to say [goodbye](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOdKfwr07VA) to his family and suggest he is willing to fight to the death. Law-enforcement agencies have not taken aggressive action in response to the armed takeover, instead calling for a “[peaceful](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-seeks-peaceful-end-armed-standoff-oregon-federal-building-n489606)” conclusion to the incident. Some media outlets refer to “[protesters](http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/04/us/oregon-wildlife-refuge-protest/)” and “[militia members](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/01/03/militia-members-occupy-us-building-in-oregon-after-protest/78226600/),” not “terrorists,” even though armed antigovernment extremists seizing federal property and expressing a desire to kill and die is a textbook description of domestic terrorism. The FBI [defines](https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/terrorism/terrorism-definition) domestic terrorism as activities that “involve acts dangerous to human life that violate federal or state law; appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the U.S.” Perhaps the best description comes from those on social media who are referring to “[Vanilla ISIS](http://www.businessinsider.com/social-media-mocking-oregon-militia-by-calling-them-yallqaeda-and-vanillaisis-2016-1)” — a group of white people seemingly immune to the same fate that would await Muslims or people of color who dared to carry out similar actions. Even though the moniker Vanilla ISIS is tongue in cheek, it is a reminder to avoid constantly framing the concept of terrorism through an Islam-centric lens. According to [one count](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/opinion/the-other-terror-threat.html) last year before the San Bernardino, Calif., shootings that killed 14, since 9/11, “an average of nine American Muslims per year have been involved in an average of six terrorism-related plots against targets in the United States. Most were disrupted, but the 20 plots that were carried out accounted for 50 fatalities.” In contrast, a study released in 2012 found that “right-wing extremists averaged 337 attacks per year in the decade after 9/11, causing a total of 254 fatalities.” A 2014 [survey](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/opinion/the-other-terror-threat.html) found that 74% of law-enforcement agencies reported antigovernment extremism as one of the top terrorist threats. Just 3% of those agencies viewed the threat from Muslim extremists as severe. Another study, published by the [_Journal of Communication_](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcom.12133/full) in December 2014, shows why many Americans falsely believe Muslims are more of a threat to our nation than right-wing terrorists. Researchers looked at news programs on major broadcast and cable networks between 2008 and 2012 and found that of those labeled as domestic terrorists, 81% were identifiable as Muslims — this despite the fact that FBI reports from the period studied revealed that only 6% of domestic terrorist suspects were Muslim. Our nation unfortunately has a long history of disparate law-enforcement actions based on the race, ethnicity or religion of the perpetrators. One only has to recall the response to the Wounded Knee standoff in the ’70s, the 1985 police bombing of the MOVE headquarters in Philadelphia or the number of police shootings of African Americans, which led to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. Implicit bias, stereotypes and racism too often determine decisions on the use of force by policymakers and law-enforcement agencies. These same factors also help determine media coverage of such incidents. To keep history from repeating itself, we need to have a deliberate national conversation about how racial and religious bias impacts law enforcement and the criminal-justice system. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4166975/oregon-protesters-terrorists/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4166975/oregon-protesters-terrorists/"},"headline":"Let's Call the Oregon 'Protesters' What They Are: Terrorists","datePublished":"2016-01-05T14:34:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:56:38.999Z","description":"Armed antigovernment extremists seizing federal property and expressing a desire to kill and die is a textbook description of domestic terrorism","url":"https://time.com/4166975/oregon-protesters-terrorists/","keywords":["politics"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52fb2125ad8a2d93/69887778bc6cfc22333db0f4/oregon1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ibrahim Hooper","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ibrahim-hooper/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52fb2125ad8a2d93/69887778bc6cfc22333db0f4/oregon1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Members of a small militia at the entrance to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge Headquarters property some 30 miles from Burns, Ore., Jan. 3, 2016.","caption":"Members of a small militia at the entrance to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge Headquarters property some 30 miles from Burns, Ore., Jan. 3, 2016.","creditText":"Rob Kerr—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/politics/","name":"politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4166975/oregon-protesters-terrorists/","name":"Let's Call the Oregon 'Protesters' What They Are: Terrorists"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Militia Members Take Over Wildlife Refuge Building In Oregon","description":"After the re-sentencing of two Oregon ranchers for arson on federal property, an Idaho militia group showed up to protest.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/QpvLpgvd/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-01-03T15:35:38.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QpvLpgvd.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4166975/oregon-protesters-terrorists/","duration":"PT56S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4166975/oregon-protesters-terrorists/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```