- Over 100,000 demonstrators gathered in Belgrade amid allegations of a banned sonic weapon deployment
- Protesters link rally to a fatal November train station collapse tied to construction negligence
- Medical experts confirm sonic devices can cause permanent hearing damage and psychological trauma
- President Vucic orders probe into 'false claims' while activists prepare international legal action
Tensions escalated in Serbia's capital as security forces faced accusations of deploying prohibited acoustic weapons against peaceful demonstrators. The controversy stems from a nationwide anti-corruption movement sparked by a November infrastructure disaster that claimed 15 lives. Eyewitness accounts describe sudden ear-splitting noises during a memorial silence, triggering panic and a chaotic stampede through downtown streets.
Military analysts note that LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device) technology, while marketed for crowd control, exceeds 150 decibels - louder than a jet engine at takeoff. Such weapons remain unregulated under international law despite documented cases of hearing loss from US deployments during 2020 protests. Belgrade's Security Policy Centre condemned the incident as a 'dangerous militarization of public dissent response.'
A regional comparison emerges with Albania's 2020 earthquake tragedy, where 51 deaths from collapsed buildings similarly ignited anti-graft protests. Balkan transparency advocates highlight a pattern of lax safety enforcement and diverted public funds. Serbia's construction sector reportedly lacks oversight on 68% of state-contracted projects, per 2023 EU compliance reports.
Hospital officials disputed casualty figures while acknowledging treating 23 protesters for anxiety attacks. Legal experts anticipate the European Court of Human Rights case could set precedents for non-lethal weapon restrictions. With youth-led demonstrations continuing, the crisis threatens Serbia's EU accession talks and Vucic's decade-long political dominance.
