"Sound Cannon" in Kralja Milan: What do we know so far?

BIA, military experts, MUP, acousticians, Vučić, international non-governmental organizations specialized in authoritarian regimes that violate human rights with the help of military equipment - all of them these days are dealing with the question - what happened on March 15 at 19:11 in Ulica Kralja Milana?

The editors of "Vremena" opened, found out or tried to determine certain issues, but little is known for sure about this topic, and there is still a lot that no one knows. At least not the majority of Serbian citizens.

What "Vreme" found out

Based on hundreds of eyewitness accounts and available video footage, "Vreme" made a map showing the potential path of movement of an unknown wave, noise or device. The text describes in detail which devices exist on the market and could produce the effect felt by hundreds of citizens in the center of Belgrade.

Reliable source from the Ministry of Interior he told "Vremen" that the police have a sound cannon, and not one. One of the sound "cannons" was given to the Police Brigade on Banovo brdo in charge of suppressing riots, adds the newsroom source, and when it arrived, it was tested on people once - and never again because the policemen were incapacitated for work.

The authorities have not decided whether there are weapons prohibited by law in the forces and security services, which according to their characteristics correspond to what is colloquially called "sound cannon".

The security services claimed through the tabloids that no one used any illegal weapons, but that there was only panic, caused by the running of several student-guards from a side street. That's it. replied the student-guard for "Vreme":

"A run of ten students stuck the whole of Kralj Milan to the walls? Give it to me, please."

These were the findings of the "Vremena" editorial office.

What do we know so far?

We know that something unusual has happened.

Because, in the meantime, many citizens already privately know someone who was on the spot, whose ears are blocked or who has ringing in their ears, who has a feeling of nausea, who has been to the doctor, but the doctor did not manage to help him much. Except to give him all possible medicines for what is already called "it" in clinics.

We also know that the government expressly claims that it did not use a sound cannon, and that was also claimed by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, several times. Based on the reports collected so far, The first public prosecution claims that a "sound cannon" was not used on the streets of Belgrade on March 15, but it is not clear how the investigation could be carried out so quickly.

Aleksandar Vučić announced that an invitation letter will be sent to the FBI in Russian as well FSBin order to help in the investigation and clarify the situation.

It is also known that it is a non-governmental organization Irsot concluded, based on the audio recordings made on March 15, that the sonic boom matches the vortex cannon and that they show that the source of the sound was located at least 700 meters from the place where it was recorded.

Irsot is the world's first non-profit organization that conducts audio research for human rights and environmental protection, and said they are continuing to investigate the case.

What we don't know

There's too much we don't know.

We don't know the most important thing - what actually happened? Although the tabloids wrote about mass panic, but the panic was limited to a very narrow area. The state did not present its own view of the entire situation, i.e. the cause of the stampede in Ulica Kralja Milana and the numerous unusual health problems that eyewitnesses are facing - representatives of the authorities simply deny everything, accuse people who sought medical help of lying and of actually being activists.

If there was a panic without any external influence, then why are people's ears blocked en masse, when the videos show that the cries of the crowd are not that loud at all, but that most people first turn to see what it is about, as in the case of incoming wind or waves.

Although the editorial office of "Vremena" determined where the epicenter of the impact could have been, no one gave an explanation of the point from which everything started. The Presidency is mentioned, but not even Irshott experts have yet provided more detailed information. However, their research has only just begun, so those who care about it hope - that many of these details will be clarified.

Vortex and other types of sound cannons have been mentioned, but many experts have said that some of the events, the behavior of people or the sound, do not fit with what is known about them.

What is being done during that time?

Serbia is again under the scrutiny of foreigners, again in a negative context. Numerous researchers, journalists and scientists contacted by colleagues from Serbia regarding the inexplicable stampede on March 15 already know that something happened and that it potentially has something to do with the regime.

German and Swiss media intensively report on the recent protests in Belgrade, analyzing allegations of the possible use of acoustic weapons against the demonstrators. While the Serbian authorities deny these claims, European journalists highlight the ambiguities and inconsistencies in the explanations.

The BBC in London is looking into the potential cause of the unknown wave, so Jürgen Altmann, a physicist who has studied acoustic weapons and their effects, told British public service that the wave appeared to be produced by a strong acoustic source, perhaps a device of the LRAD family, but added that "other mechanisms are also possible."