Levels of sophistication notwithstanding, that people gathered that day reacted to noise and later described it as a source of severe panic and discomfort is demonstrable. In the most recent incident, compared by international media to the events in Bucharest, protestors in Belgrade witnessed a strange, uniquely terrifying phenomenon.
During a massive
anti-government rally in Belgrade on March 15th, 2025, thousands of peaceful protesters suddenly fled in terror after hearing what witnesses described as “a sound from hell”—a brief, swooshing noise that sent crowds stampeding toward sidewalks in inexplicable panic. Serbia's authoritarian President Aleksandar Vučić has faced mounting accusations that his security forces deployed an illegal acoustic device against the demonstrators. Officials first denied possessing such weapons, then, when confronted with photographs of a Long Range Acoustic Device mounted on a police vehicle, admitted ownership while insisting it wasn't used. The manufacturer, Genasys, disputed that their device was employed, but over half a million Serbians have signed a petition demanding international investigation.
Eyewitnesses interviewed for this paper describe their experience. J. L. describes a wall of noise
“as if some cavalry was coming from one direction, then people panicked and moved aside to escape from an undefined attack”. She describes feelings of fear, anger, confusion and helplessness. I. P. describes it as
“the sound of many car tyres screeching”, which for many evoked separate incidents in which pro-government drivers ploughed through protestors, just days before.
As established earlier, physics and technology required to send a “pulse” through a crowd to achieve the dramatic effect, as seen in countless videos of the Belgrade incident, do not quite correspond in reality. Experts in non-lethal weapons, whether on the commercial or the academic stride, all have a stake in explaining and confirming the deployment of a highly sophisticated sonic weapon.
Photos of Serbian law enforcement vehicles do show mounted devices of the LRAD variety.
A device called
Superhailer is being marketed as a long range acoustic communications device, with uses including de-escalation, crowd control, peacekeeping and disaster management. “A modern alternative to using force or aggression, 100% safe in use and complies with health & safety legislation, equipped with comprehensive integrated evidence recording, easy to use with all functions automatic requiring no user judgement, very media friendly and
highly defensible in court.”
Acoustic weapons may seem so efficient because their mysterious nature amplifies their psychological impact. Unlike visible weapons, their undetectable energy creates an aura of magic and power that keeps us guessing in a game of projected strength. The concept of “non-lethal” warfare was championed in the 1990s by a motley crew of science fiction writers, futurists like Alvin and Heidi Toffler and military figures like Colonel John Alexander. Alexander, fascinated by the MK Ultra experiments and Soviet “paranormal applications”, envisioned silent, undetectable “psychotronic weapons” that could “induce illness or death at little or no risk”. This collaboration of fantasy writers and military leaders reflects a shift from the military-industrial complex to a new “military-entertainment complex”, where controlling public image is paramount.
Rumours about these weapons often originate from manufacturers and military officials promoting their products, and these claims then circulate through media and public opinion, separate from their sources. It is the current stage in a fast process of urban militarisation, in which the public eye (and ear) is being desensitised to the deployment of military equipment, personnel and strategies from combat theatres to urban centers. In an act framed as “public diplomacy”, Israel broadcasted Benjamin Netanyahu's UN speech into Gaza using
loudspeakers mounted on trucks along the border. The operation sparked immediate controversy in Israel, with early reports suggesting soldiers were deployed to set up and protect the speakers. It is unclear whether the speech was actually heard inside Gaza.
More than a technological leap, sonic warfare reflects our quiet surrender to the militarization of daily life. At the time of writing, there is a record number of state-based conflicts happening in the world, with some reports citing as many as
50 active conflicts of massive scale. The ubiquity of war-related language and imagery, from cinema to
gaming and
sports, makes it easier for profiting entities to normalise the presence of military equipment and combat field strategies in everyday urban life. The gargantuan EDM festival Untold (Cluj, Romania), with half a million participants, hosts a Romanian
Ministry of Defense stage that popularises recruitment, army lifestyle, guns and ammo. There’s a DJ in combat fatigues, with a group of merry cadets doing dance routines on stage to a set of electronic dance music. As an artist with electronic music as a major part of my practice, this gives me great pause. In writing about these invisible weapons, I've come to understand that the most effective control may come from the fact that we've grown so accustomed to their presence, that we no longer hear them coming.
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*This article is part of the project
The Sonic Turn, co-financed by the
Administration of the National Cultural Fund. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or the way its results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the funding beneficiary.
