A Twitter message purportedly from the leader of an armed anti-government militia that compared the group to civil rights icon Rosa Parks is a hoax.
The tweet came from the account @Ammon_Bundy, which claims to belong to Ammon Bundy, who is leading the occupation of a national wildlife preserve in Oregon. But the user later indicated on Twitter that they are not Bundy.
That came after Bundy’s brother Ryan told the New York Daily News that the account is a hoax. “Ammon does not have a Twitter account, so, yes, someone is masquerading as him,” Ryan Bundy said. And a Twitter spokesman pointed to a story on Gizmodo about the account being fake when asked to explain why the account was briefly suspended.
The tweet claiming to be Bundy said that, like Parks, he is standing up against “bad laws.” The occupation has centered on regulation of federal lands.
The tweet drew widespread condemnation from readers on social media and coverage in media outlets, including TIME.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- What's the Deal With the Bitcoin Halving?
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com