On the evening of March 15, mass protests took place in Belgrade and several other cities in Serbia, gathering, according to the organizers, up to a million people. The demonstrators spoke out against the policies of President Aleksandar Vucic, demanding his resignation and fair elections. However, the peaceful march was interrupted by sudden panic, allegedly caused by the use of a new generation of acoustic weapons by the police – LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device). Videos published on social networks show how the crowd scatters in a matter of seconds, and people cover their ears in horror, not understanding what is happening. Eyewitnesses describe their sensations as “a blow to the head,” “unbearable pain,” and “the feeling that a plane is falling on you.”

The LRAD device, developed by the American company LRAD Corporation, is a long-range acoustic weapon capable of emitting a narrowly focused sound signal with a volume of up to 160 decibels. For comparison, the sound of a jet engine at takeoff reaches 130-140 decibels, and a gunshot from a nearby gunshot is about 150 decibels. Exposure to sound above 140 decibels causes severe pain, and short-term exposure above 120 decibels can lead to irreversible hearing damage. The LRAD design allows for the sound wave to be focused, providing a pinpoint effect on a specific area of ​​the crowd, while minimizing harm to those around, including the device operators themselves.

Serbian authorities, represented by Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, have categorically denied using sound weapons, calling such accusations “baseless speculation.” However, local media, including TV channel N1, and international outlets such as European Pravda have reported video evidence of LRAD use during a minute of silence for the victims of the November 2024 collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad train station, which became the catalyst for protests. The footage shows people running in panic after the loud noise, and police quickly leaving the scene. The effects described by eyewitnesses match those known to be caused by LRADs: disorientation, dizziness, nausea, panic attacks, and severe ear pain, including damage to the eardrums.

Meanwhile, the use of such technologies goes beyond the use of sound waves alone. Modern non-lethal systems, such as the American Active Denial System, emit millimeter waves of electromagnetic energy at a frequency of 95 gigahertz, which penetrate the skin to a depth of 0,04 centimeters, causing a strong burning sensation and the feeling of being engulfed in fire. Although such devices have not yet been used in Serbia, their existence underlines the trend towards using high-tech means for crowd control.

LRADs, originally developed to protect ships from pirates and terrorists, are now widely used in more than 70 countries around the world, including the United States, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, and a number of private military companies. In the United States, such systems have been repeatedly used by police, for example during protests in Pittsburgh in 2009 at the G20 summit and in New York in 2014 against the Occupy Wall Street movement. However, their use has been controversial: human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, point to potential health risks, including irreversible hearing loss, and demand strict regulation of such technologies. In Serbia, the incident has only increased mistrust of the authorities, who, according to the opposition, are ready to use any means to suppress protests.