Sound cannons were in action: Tested before the protest

The gendarme who was in front of the Serbian Parliament on the day protest in Belgrade on March 15, he told Danas that during the big protest, more "sound cannons", and a video of the device testing also appeared.

Minister of Internal Affairs Ivica Dacic claims that the device that was recorded on the vehicle of the Gendarmerie, near the Parliament, is used to inform citizens at meetings, and that "it is forbidden to use it as a sound cannon".

"The vehicle that was recorded is a Gendarmerie vehicle, it was on the side of the National Assembly, it was from 9 am to 23:45 pm and it did not move, nor did that device go anywhere, nor was that recording played, except in preparations, exercises, what is important for the functioning of those units."

He claims that the sound cannon would have to be activated in front of the crowd.

"These devices are not used and it is prohibited to use them as a sound cannon," he said, stating that it is an "acoustic device" to amplify a voice message, which is obtained without permits and is not a weapon. He also demonstrated how it works.

Nova S published a video of the device testing earlier on Wednesday (March 19), and according to them, a jeep with the same number plates was photographed in front of the Parliament on the day of the protest.

See how the LRAD system was tested before the protest in Belgrade, a jeep with the same number plates was photographed next to the Parliament! pic.twitter.com/PhVBbr2PlE

- nova.rs (@novarsonline) March 19, 2025

The gendarme who was engaged during the protest, and who told Danas that several cannons were deployed during the protest, says that one of them was standing behind the National Assembly.

"The device was mounted on the hood of our 'Defender' vehicle, which we colloquially call an 'Indian'. It is a defender that has no roof. Next to him was an 'operator' who is in charge of handling this device. Apart from this vehicle, the same vehicle with the same device was parked to the left of it. It was explained to us that this device will be activated if there is a need, as well as how to behave if it is activated", says a source of the newspaper Danas, whose name is known to the newsroom.

I did some photogrammetry using the Land Rover Defender drawings to check the size of this device. In my model by drawing over the image I got a shape that is 691x375mm and the manufacturer of the LRAD in the image says it is 686x368mm which for such a blurry low resolution image is confirmation pic.twitter.com/p0AHtpmtDP

— Jovan (@sketchindrawin) March 19, 2025

Photos and videos that appeared on social networks show a vehicle with a mounted device resembling an LRAD sound cannon at a location in the yard of the National Assembly. The location was also confirmed by Danas' source from the Gendarmerie.

Here is an exclusive shot of the cannon and where it was!

A lie has short legs and a long prison! pic.twitter.com/sqpgJEde7m

— Miran Pogačar (@MiranPogacar) March 19, 2025

The source of Danas says that at that moment he was not the only one who was next to this vehicle, but that the entire platoon of the Gendarmerie was there.

"The vehicle was hidden and could not be seen from the fence that surrounds the Assembly due to construction works. This device was not used in the end. However, there were more of these devices and they were distributed in different locations. We were told that there are also mobile devices that are not mounted on vehicles," says the interviewee of Danas.

"Vreme" previously wrote about LRAD in an analysis of the events of March 15.

An LRAD looks like a large, flat plate or disk mounted on a stand or vehicle. It is most often black or dark gray in color and has a grid or mesh front through which the sound comes out. The plate or disc can be of different dimensions, depending on the model and purpose, and is most often mounted on a tripod or vehicle. Some smaller models can be carried by hand.

On the back side of the cannon, there is usually a control panel with controls for adjusting the volume, frequency and direction. The sound is emitted through the front of the device in the form of a narrow and focused beam, which can reach up to several kilometers.

The gendarmerie has several "sound cannons"

A source from the newspaper Danas states that each detachment of the Gendarmerie (Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kraljevo, Niš) has two such devices and that this has not been hidden from the members of the Gendarmerie, but that they have never been taken outside the base until now, until the protest.

"We were also told that a device was placed in or next to the presidency, as well as that the tractors parked around Pionirski Park were placed precisely to deflect the impact of the cannon if the cannon were to be used, because our people were also in the park," he says.

Minister of Internal Affairs Ivica Dačić confirmed on March 18th that the police have sonic weapons or colloquially called "sound cannon", i.e. that those systems that were purchased in 2021 are owned by the MUP.

"Those systems are in our warehouses in boxes. They are owned by the Ministry of the Interior, but they have not been put into use, nor have they been mounted on any of our vehicles or systems," Dacic told Danas.

Dacic denied that the Ministry of Interior owns LRAD (sound cannon), Vortex or any means of other production.

And a reliable source from the MUP 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.

Dacic previously stated that the MUP does not possess a sound cannon or any other similar sound weapons, and on that occasion he later said that this was a clumsy statement.

"That's a clumsy statement. It meant that the MUP did not include this tool in its arsenal of coercive tools," said Dacic.

As for the event in Kralja Milan where, according to the statements of many, this weapon was used, the gendarme says that he does not know where it could have been fired from, because it was near the Assembly.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić told Pink that he will no longer be president if it is proven that any similar weapon was used.

Source: Danas/Vreme