Posters that purported to be American Red Cross fliers soliciting blood donations, but actually were protesting donor policies, do not appear to violate criminal law, Portland police say.

A group of gay activists put up about 75 posters around the city this week that appeared to solicit volunteers for a blood drive, but included language intended to draw attention to a federal policy of not accepting donations from gay men.

The Red Cross says the policy is in response to law barring donations by men who have had sex with other men since 1977.

The Red Cross removed the posters and notified police, even filing a police report.

Capt. Vern Malloch, head of patrol services for the department, said he does not think there was a crime committed because the posters represented a political statement. He said the Red Cross appears to have been within its rights to take down the posters because they purported to be agency items.