Terrifying video shows mysterious new sonic weapon deployed against crowd of protesters
Shocking footage appears to show the moment a military-grade sonic cannon was used to disperse a crowd of peaceful protesters, letting of a deafening roar.
World
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Footage has emerged showing what appears to be a military-grade sonic cannon being used to disperse peaceful protesters in Serbia.
It is claimed riot police deployed the mysterious weapon to dispel hundreds of thousands of demonstrators who had gathered in Belgrade to stage a massive protest against government corruption.
Footage shows thousands of rally-goers filling the city’s streets before a deafening roar ripped down an avenue.
Demonstrators were all standing quietly to observe a 15-minute silence for 15 people who died when the concrete canopy of a railway station collapsed last year.
Suddenly, a whooshing sound was heard across triggering panic and a brief stampede.
Screaming protesters scrambled for cover, leaving the middle of the downtown street almost empty as they fell over each other.
Many people who were victims of the alleged attack complained on social media about strong headaches, nausea and disorientation – all signs of the weapon.
Experts say that sonic cannons can emit up to 160 decibels, roughly equivalent to standing next to a rocket launch or a shotgun blast.
Human ears have a pain threshold of 120-130 decibels and anything above that is incredibly painful.
Those exposed to the weapon experience sharp ear pain, disorientation and panic, security experts say.
Prolonged exposure can cause eardrum ruptures and irreversible hearing damage.
Calls are now mounting in Serbia for an independent investigation into reports that security forces used the prohibited sonic weapon. Various human rights groups and opposition officials said they would file charges with international and domestic courts against those who ordered the attack.
Serbia’s authoritarian and pro-Russian President Aleksandar Vucic denied that the crowd-control device was deployed, calling it a “wicked lie” aimed at destroying Serbia.
He said he would soon invite the investigations agencies including the FBI and Russia’s FSB to investigate the claims.
Vucic added: “It is important for history to see how they lied, he said, referring to those who claim the sonic weapon was used.”
Sonic weapons are difficult to trace, as sound leaves no physical evidence, adding to the challenge of holding users accountable.
They remain banned in Serbia.
Serbian officials have indirectly admitted that the police had about two years ago added the crowd control weapon to their arsenal, but insist that it was not used during Saturday’s rally.
Military analyst Aleksandar Radic told local media: “The biggest problem is – who came up with the idea to use such a weapon?
“In a situation when all the protesters were calm when a fifteen-minute silence was going on, the weapon was used.
“The only goal of that act is a brutal display of force, proof of arrogance, and the motive is hatred towards one’s own people.”
And although Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic has said no sonic canon was used, he has not denied that security forces have one.
One law student named only as Aleksandar told local media: “The President and all the authorities of the Ministry of Interior can say whatever they want.
“They can continue to deceive us, but I think that all of us who were there felt it.
“They were truly scenes of horror.”
Local MP Zdravko Ponos also told Serbian media that a sonic canon had been deployed.
He said: “The reaction of the crowd, that they felt as if something had passed through them, was a consequence of the use of sound, with the aim of scaring them.
“The use of this weapon can also harm health, and the fact that it was used is a complete scandal.”
A wave of resistance
The protest movement formed after 15 people were killed in a railway station roof collapse in the city of Novi Sad in November following massive government-backed renovations on the facility.
The disaster unleashed long-building rage over alleged corruption and lax oversight in construction projects, prompting the resignation of several high-ranking officials, including prime minister Milos Vucevic.
Between 100,000 and 300,000 people are estimated to have taken part on Saturday, in the biggest turnout yet in the national movement.
For weeks, student-led protesters have crisscrossed the country, holding rallies in Serbia’s major cities.
They have also taken their anti-corruption crusade to the rural areas and small towns that have long been the backbone of Vucic’s support.
“We have gathered in the streets primarily to express our complete dissatisfaction after years of dictatorship, lawlessness, and corruption,” said Ognjen Djordjevic, a 28-year-old resident from Belgrade.
At one point the crowd stretched for nearly two kilometres, with people filling the streets in and around the parliament and the capital’s main pedestrian square. Following hours of largely peaceful protests, police later reported that there had been some “incidents and clashes among some participants” of the protests.
This article originally appeared in The Sun and has been reproduced with permission.
Originally published as Terrifying video shows mysterious new sonic weapon deployed against crowd of protesters
Investors make billions on Tesla collapse
As financial experts marvel at just how much value Tesla has lost “so quickly”, boss Elon Musk is copping most of the blame - and some investors are raking in huge amounts of money.
Shock Aussie link to JFK assassination files
JFK assassination files released to the public for the very first time have revealed correspondence between Australian and US intelligence marked as “secret”.