A whooshing sound, then panic: Serbia denies ‘sonic weapon’ used on protesters
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Skip to sections navigationSkip to contentSkip to footerMarch 17, 2025 — 4.18am
Belgrade: Serbian officials have denied that the country’s security forces used a military-grade sonic weapon to disperse and scare peaceful protesters at a major anti-government rally in the capital at the weekend.
At least 100,000 people descended on Belgrade on Saturday for a mass rally seen as a culmination of months-long protests against Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and his government.
Thousands of protesters hold up their mobile phones during Saturday’s major rally in Belgrade.
Thousands of protesters hold up their mobile phones during Saturday’s major rally in Belgrade.Credit: Getty Images
Opposition officials and Serbian rights groups claimed that the widely banned acoustic weapon, which emits a targeted beam to temporarily incapacitate people, was used during the protest.
They say they will file charges against those who ordered the attack with the European Court of Human Rights and domestic courts.
Serbian police and the Defence Ministry denied that the illegal weapon was used, while Vučić described it as “a notorious lie”. Serbia did not deny having such an acoustic device in its arsenal.
The rally was part of a nationwide anti-corruption movement that erupted after a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Serbia’s north in November, killing 15 people.
Protesters march during a major rally against Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Saturday.
Protesters march during a major rally against Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
Almost daily demonstrations that started in response to the tragedy have shaken Vučić’s decade-long firm grip on power in Serbia, where many blame the canopy collapse on rampant government corruption, negligence and disrespect of construction safety regulations, demanding accountability for the victims.
Footage from the rally showed people standing during 15 minutes of silence for the rail station disaster while suddenly experiencing a whooshing sound that immediately triggered panic and a brief stampede.
An Associated Press photographer at the scene said people started scrambling for cover, leaving the middle of the downtown street almost empty as they started falling over each other.
Military experts say those exposed to the weapon experience sharp ear pain, disorientation and panic. Prolonged exposure can cause eardrum ruptures and irreversible hearing damage.
Anti-riot police cordons off the area near the parliament building during the rally.
Anti-riot police cordons off the area near the parliament building during the rally.Credit: AP
The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, a non-governmental organisation, condemned “the unlawful and inhumane deployment of prohibited weapons, such as acoustic devices, against peaceful protesters”.
“This act represents a blatant display of force and an attempt to incite chaos, aiming to delegitimise protests and criminalise peaceful citizens,” the group said.
On Sunday, the Serbian president urged judicial authorities to respond to the information “that sonic cannons were used during the protests,” the state RTS broadcaster reported.
“I am asking … the Ministry of Justice and the prosecutor’s office to react, either to prosecute those who used it, and we know they didn’t, but let’s check,” Vučić said.
“Let there be a proceeding, but then they should also prosecute those who went public with such a notorious lie.”
Belgrade’s emergency hospital has denied reports that many people sought help after the incident and urged legal action against those who “spread untrue information”.
Associated Press