A call to use laser beams aimed at the sky to disrupt federal helicopters hovering over South Portland has raised significant safety alarms and led to a major trauma hospital rerouting air ambulances.
An online announcement, featured on the website of Rose City Counter-Info—an organization that self-identifies as an “anarchist counter-info platform in so-called Portland, Oregon”—invites individuals to participate in a “laser tag” event targeting federal aircraft.
The message encourages attendees to wear masks, collaborate with others, and take precautions to avoid being identified—like sterilizing laser pointers with alcohol, wearing gloves, and removing any potential DNA traces before discarding them.
Due to the planned event, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) disclosed that numerous air ambulance services chose not to land at the hospital’s rooftop helipad on Saturday night, as reported by KGW.
Consequently, they redirected their helicopters to nearby airports, necessitating patients to be transported to OHSU by ground ambulance—adding an estimated 45 to 60 minutes to the total travel time.
“For most patients, this will be an acceptable delay. Nonetheless, in critical cases such as unstable trauma patients, STEMIs, and strokes, this delay could have serious consequences,” stated OHSU in an email to KGW.
The hospital also instructed staff to “factor in additional transport time during decision-making” and strongly urged the public not to take part in the planned laser event, describing it as “extremely dangerous.”
OHSU later clarified that the decision to reroute aircraft was made by the air ambulance companies, not by the hospital itself.
The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) issued a statement to Fox News Digital stressing that directing lasers at aircraft jeopardizes the safety of both pilots and people on the ground, and is illegal under both state and federal law.
The PPB noted that it frequently arrests individuals for targeting police aircraft with lasers, mentioning one arrest earlier this week. They confirmed that while they monitored the ICE facility on Saturday, their presence was not notably increased, and no laser strikes were reported that night.
The Port of Portland, which manages aviation in the area, acknowledged the increase in helicopter and propeller aircraft operations.
“We recognize the heightened activity of helicopter and propeller plane flight over South and Southwest Portland,” the Port stated. “This seems tied to federal law enforcement and/or military operations, and is beyond the control of the Port of Portland.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also condemned the call to aim lasers at aircraft, underscoring that it constitutes a federal crime.
“Pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft is a federal crime. This poses extreme risks to the aircraft personnel and to public safety,” remarked DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a previous statement to Fox News Digital. “Antifa domestic terrorists WILL NOT seize control of our cities. We will dismantle their networks and hold every individual accountable.”
Earlier this week, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem visited the ICE facility in Portland, praying alongside officers facing ongoing disturbances.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, however, countered claims of widespread chaos, declaring that “there is no insurrection,” and expressing confidence that “local law enforcement will handle the situation.”
She mentioned that during her discussion with Noem, she reiterated Oregon’s expectation that DHS and ICE operations adhere to state regulations.
Kotek is among several Democratic governors who have opposed the Trump administration’s intensified federal enforcement strategies.
Fox News Digital has contacted OHSU for their comments.
Contributions to this report were made by Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf.
