I remember seeing a documentary about it many years ago. A commune established itself outside a rural US town, and eventually became so great in number that they were electing their own members to political office. A rivalry developed between the traditional inhabitants of the town (down to earth rural Americans) and the commune, ending in a battle in the streets between the police and the armed commune members, of which there is video footage.
No searches using those facts has helped me find the case or the video. Help.
I remember the video of a fairly large scale shootout on the streets, and I don't recall an Indian religious leader being involved, but that was an interesting story, too.
It's possible I'm conflating two different memories.
I remember those days. A couple of my friends and I drove down to Antelope just to see what all the noise was about. Of course in those days with no internet and limited coverage by the news we had no idea what we were getting into, but it was quite the show. I also remember when everything came apart it was reported the the Bogwan had like 100 Rolls Royce in storage down there.
I remember those days. A couple of my friends and I drove down to Antelope just to see what all the noise was about. Of course in those days with no internet and limited coverage by the news we had no idea what we were getting into, but it was quite the show. I also remember when everything came apart it was reported the the Bogwan had like 100 Rolls Royces in storage down there.
I remember those days. A couple of my friends and I drove down to Antelope just to see what all the noise was about. Of course in those days with no internet and limited coverage by the news we had no idea what we were getting into, but it was quite the show. I also remember when everything came apart it was reported the the Bogwan had like 100 Rolls Royces in storage down there.
Pretty sure you're getting two different situations mixed up, IMO... Antelope, where the Rajneeshees took over the town government really isn't a town by anyone's standards- just a post office and about 4 buildings in the whole place. Pretty sure the sign for the city limits is on both sides of the same post... not even a town street as the only street through town is a rural highway to Fossil...
A buddy of mine and I used to bird hunt where the Rajneeshees took over the Big Muddy Ranch along the John Day River, but we were unaware of their presence for a while. We were bird hunting along there at the usual places that farmers allowed us access for years and we decided to drive down a county road to a new and birdy looking area... we came around a corner and through a gate and there in front of us was the commune- a whole bunch of hippy looking guys and gals walking around like they had something important to do, but weren't really doing anything. Along the road in front of us about 50 yards, were a bunch of them in slightly different attire and all carrying Uzis, AR's , and pistols on their hips. We decided we could find better places to hunt birds and left quickly... Apparently what came out later is they had set themselves up as a city and had actually gone to the state and got themselves accredited as a recognized Police agency so they could order automatic weapons and other weapons that supposedly only LE had access to at the time...
A bunch of the leadership ended up in prison for trying to kill the County District Attorney and poisoned the salad bar at a couple restaurants in The Dalles area and were caught at it... along with their police accreditation, they had set themselves up (fraudulently) as a research facility and had actually gotten the Salmonella samples for "research" from an Oregon State University research lab by just sending them a letter and having it delivered by next day mail.....
The Rajneeshees made a lot of people very very sick. Went to the salad bar at a restaurant and, while standing in line and dishing up a salad, they spread salmonella all over the lettuce. Hundreds of customers went to the hospital. I saw an interview, one of these restaurants was not a Golden Corral it was a mom and pop place owned by a local couple, big restaurant and very popular. After the poisoning by the Rajneeshees, the customers just went away and the owner went broke. I saw an interview with that guy what a sad story.
The Rajneeshees of Oregon never got into a shootout with the cops but thank God they got busted and run out of town.