Over half a million people have signed an online petition calling for an independent investigation into whether security forces in Serbia used a sonic weapon, described as a “sound cannon,” during a massive anti-corruption rally. Following the protest, which saw as many as 325,000 people take to the streets of Belgrade, rights groups and opposition parties have been alleging that demonstrators were targeted with an auditory device that momentarily caused panic and left symptoms such as headaches and ringing in the ears lingering long after the event. Serbian political figures and police have denied these allegations, with President Aleksandar Vučić calling the claims a “wicked lie” aimed at “destroying Serbia”. The claim of a sonic device’s use has added pressure on Vučić, who is facing his biggest challenge to his power in a decade. Since November, Serbia has been experiencing near-daily protests following the collapse of a train station roof that killed 15 people, which quickly became a rallying point for demanding government transparency and expressing dissatisfaction with the country’s increasingly authoritarian rule. The protest in question marked the movement’s strongest show of force to date. Video from the protest captured a sound disrupting a moment of silence for the victims of the train station tragedy, causing panicked crowd movements. The Serbian Ministry of Interior has denied using the device against protesters, but campaigners point towards evidence and eye-witness testimonies of lingering discomfort and visuals of a police vehicle with what appears to be crowd control equipment aboard. Six NGOs in Serbia have united to gather over 3,000 reports of such occurrences, describing a significant sonic impact associated with feelings of heat or wind, and urging for an international, independent investigation.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/21/calls-serbia-investigation-claims-sound-cannon-targeted-protesters