Chilean Protesters Are Fighting Police With Lasers Now

An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported that 230 people had lost their sight due to lasers. As covered in the New York Post, reports from Chile indicate that "at least 230 people" have lost their sight after being shot in the eye with projectiles, not lasers.

As the protests in Chile enter their second month, activists have begun fending off riot police with lasers. Yes, you read that correctly. Lasers.

According to a series of videos on Twitter protesters have taken down a number of drones by shining green lasers at the police-controlled devices. There is no concensus as to why this has been so effective.

One video in particular shows 40 to 50 laser beams pointed directly at a flying drone. The device fell from the sky shortly after.

This is the most cyberpunk thing I've seen for a while: Chilean protesters using lasers to take down a drone. pic.twitter.com/tLSgj7YSB6

— NetSec Focus (@netsecfocus) November 13, 2019

Interesting Engineering reported a number of theories on how a laser could bring down the drone. One of the most common involves a laser powerful enough to melt the drone's plastic. Others think that pointing lasers at the device could cause them to overheat.

"Speculations that between 40 to 50 lasers were being pointed at the drone have circulated online," they write. "The video certainly demonstrates that these estimates may be true. If that is the case, that's certainly enough lasers to blind the drone's camera lens."

This is de real deal pic.twitter.com/L1Uul8QrSl

— Chile no es un fundo ! (@lakesbear) November 13, 2019

Protesters in Chile employing Lasers en masse to disorient, neutralize Riot Police pic.twitter.com/MsBJLCSZuD

— ᏔმƦ𝔢ჳ💤 (@mooncult) November 15, 2019

Chilean Protesters with laser pointers VS. Riot Police with shotgun pic.twitter.com/Pf5G1TvyoN

— ᏔმƦ𝔢ჳ💤 (@mooncult) November 15, 2019

video taken from a police helicopter w/ music LOL pic.twitter.com/RluWmuASnM

— francisco velez (@panchovelez) November 13, 2019

Since the release of the video, others have shared clips of protesters, using lasers to fend off police forces.

The Chilean student protests began in October 2019 over increases to transit fares. These demonstrations soon grew in size and scope, tackling issues such as wide-spread economic inequality, with activists calling for changes to health care, educations and labor.