Citizens of Obrenovac gathered in front of the city municipality this evening and threw eggs at the building, after it was determined that the mayor of Obrenovac, Miloš Stanojević, was in Pioneer Park with "students who want to study."
In addition to the mayor, other municipal officials were also in Pioneer Park, reports N1.
As previously announced, students opposing the blockade of the faculty were staying in Pioneer Park.
Serbian Army Brigadier General Slavko Rakić said that they do not own or use the so-called "sound cannon" and that it was not used during yesterday's protest.
"When it comes to using a sound cannon, it uses a sound system that is amplified well above the level of the sound system of humans and other living beings. What we saw does not resemble that. The effect that is achieved is an amplified sound recording and it should be audible, and that is not present in the recordings," he told RTS.
He also says that the spontaneous movement of people to the left and right, which can be seen in the footage posted on social media, is also not characteristic of the effects of a sonic cannon.
He said that the sonic cannon is used in the US to break up demonstrations, as well as in some rescue missions, for example after devastating earthquakes and other natural disasters when a message needs to be sent. He also says that it is "almost impossible not to see the sonic cannon, because it has to be in the line of fire," the RTS portal reports.
Speaking about allegations that an unusual weapon was seen at the Presidency building, which some believe could have been used for that purpose, the Brigadier General of the Serbian Army firmly denies it.
"The device that was spotted at the Presidency building is an anti-drone rifle that disrupts the operation of a drone and serves to disable, shoot down or return it," said Rakić.
He also says that the ground vibrations that individuals say they felt during the incident "cannot in any way be attributed to the effects of a sonic cannon."
The Serbian public first heard about the sound cannon in 2022, but it was never put into use in Serbia, it added.
"The Serbian Army had no contact with this asset," Rakić points out.
Hearing damage and disorientation are the main symptoms after using a sound cannon in those exposed to it, he explained.
The extended rector's board of the University of Belgrade today requested an urgent and transparent investigation into what they claim is the use of a currently unidentified weapon by unknown persons against peaceful demonstrators in Belgrade during yesterday's protest and the fifteen-minute silence in honor of the victims in Novi Sad.
They added that they are demanding the punishment of those responsible and a clear guarantee that all citizens will be able to exercise their right to peaceful assembly without fear of violence.
"Only thanks to the composure of the security guards and the citizens present, a tragedy of greater proportions was avoided," the Extended Rector's Board of the University of Belgrade said in a statement, as reported by Beta.
They demand that the competent authorities immediately inform the public whether they possess any means whose effects could "cause the manifestations we witnessed."
"If they do not possess and/or use them, we are seeking an answer - how the unauthorized acquisition and use of these assets occurred and the consequent causing of general danger and endangerment of public safety," they add.
They said the University of Belgrade would use all available legal means to protect its students and employees, establish accountability, and "prevent future abuses."
The students on the blockade said that the blockades of the faculty will continue because their demands have not been met.
"It's over when we say it's over," they said in a post on social media.
The Move-Change movement has launched a petition, which has been signed by 150.000 people so far, calling on officials from the UN, the Council of Europe, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to conduct an independent international investigation into the use of a sound cannon on March 15 against peaceful protesters in Belgrade, including the medical, legal, and technical aspects of its impact on health and human rights.
The petition, addressed to the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association Gina Romero, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression Irena Kahn, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty, and the representative of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), calls for an independent investigation, establishing the responsibility of institutions and individuals, as well as international guidelines.
The movement announced that it is demanding "an independent international investigation into the use of a sound cannon on March 15 against peaceful protesters in Belgrade, including the medical, legal and technical aspects of its impact on health and human rights, as well as the identification and accountability of the institutions and individuals who ordered, enabled or carried out the use of sound weapons, as well as international guidelines and a ban on the use of sound weapons against civilians in peacetime circumstances."
The petition, available on the Kreni-Promeni website, states that on Saturday, "peaceful protesters in Belgrade, while paying tribute to the victims at the Novi Sad railway station, were targeted by the use of a sonic cannon (LRAD) - a device that, when not used for communication purposes, is a means of coercion with potentially serious health consequences."
"The LRAD emits extremely loud and potentially harmful waves that can cause permanent hearing damage, disorientation, and other serious health consequences. There are serious indications that protesters were exposed to this device without warning and without justification," the text adds.
This is not only an attack on the right to protest, but also a violation of basic human rights guaranteed by international conventions.
According to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Serbia is a signatory, everyone has the inalienable right to peaceful assembly and expression of opinion without fear of repression, the text reminds.
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a legally binding document and Serbia, as the successor to the former Yugoslavia that signed the Covenant, is obliged to harmonize its laws with these international standards.
Serbia, as a member of the aforementioned international institutions and a signatory to international treaties, is obliged to guarantee its citizens the right to freedom of assembly and expression of opinion.
The use of illegal means against civilians represents a serious violation of the constitutional and internationally recognized rights of citizens, which requires an urgent response from international bodies.
The petition titled "UN Investigation into the Use of Sound Cannon" had been signed by 18.30 people by 150.000:XNUMX p.m.
(BETA)
A group of people posing as "students who want to learn" left Pionirski Park in Belgrade, leaving behind tents and a pile of trash.
Buses and cars arrived at Nikola Pašić Square this morning, the day after the student protest in Belgrade, taking away people who were camping in the area, N1 reports.
As reported by agencies and TV Insajder, the tents in the camp remained empty, and during the day police could be seen in Pioneer Park, as well as City Sanitation workers who were clearing the area. Several trucks drove away loaded field toilets.
Beta Agency reminds that last night a large group of men of different ages left the park, many with bags, as if they were leaving the area completely, and they did not want to tell the agency's reporter what it was about, whether the camp was being completely disbanded.
New slogans were written on the destroyed tractors that surrounded the park two days ago during last night's protest.
As previously announced, students opposing the blockade of the faculty were staying in Pioneer Park.
This group has also publicly stated its demands, including that classes at universities begin no later than March 17th, that classes in all subjects in primary and secondary schools urgently begin, and that Education Minister Slavica Đukić Dejanović be dismissed.
Although they said they would not leave Pioneer Park until their demands were met, that space has been empty since today.
The First Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade announced that, after a loud and unusual sound was heard during a student protest on March 15th, during a 15-minute silence, which caused panic, running, pushing and falling of the gathered citizens on King Milan Street, it opened a case and ordered the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs to determine what exactly happened on the critical occasion, i.e. whether a pyrotechnic device, weapon or other generally dangerous device was used that could have endangered the life and body of the gathered citizens.
Also, as they announced, it was ordered to determine whether any of the gathered citizens were injured and, if so, to obtain medical documentation on the type and severity of the injuries sustained.
"After the complete and accurate factual situation is established, the prosecutor's office will make a decision as to whether the actions of the currently unidentified persons constitute the elements of the criminal offense of Causing General Danger under Article 278 of the Criminal Code or some other criminal offense for which prosecution is undertaken ex officio. The same request ordered the police to determine whether the information that certain persons with problems, after this event, contacted the Citizens' Association Belgrade Center for Human Rights is accurate, and if so, to determine in what number and to obtain their data, as well as the data of other persons who have knowledge regarding possible injuries to those present at the protest," they conclude.
The Green-Left Front (ZLF) assessed that yesterday's protest in Belgrade was a historic event in that it was the largest gathering in the history of Serbia, but also in that the "regime" used a sound cannon for mass control and breaking up demonstrations for the first time.
The ZLF stated in a statement that a historic protest was held yesterday, which showed that the "progressive regime" has completely lost legitimacy and any democratic basis for governing the country.
"The magnificent mass of the protest, which the Archive of Public Gatherings estimated at more than 300 thousand people, shows us that the regime does not have the support of citizens. The fact that their huge police forces were not enough, not even hired thugs and criminals, but instead used a sound cannon against their own people, which causes mass panic and puts people's lives at risk, tells us that Vučić does not hold the levers of the system and that he relies exclusively on force to preserve power," the statement reads, as reported by Beta.
It is added that the most shocking act of repression was the use of a sound cannon, a weapon banned due to its harmful effects on health, but also the possibility of mass injuries due to panic and the stampede effect, which, as they stated, happened yesterday.
"The regime used this weapon for the first time at the very moment of the fifteen-minute memorial service for the victims in Novi Sad, which shows the ruthlessness and true character of the people in power. This act represents a direct crime by the regime against its own people. The regime secretly acquired and illegally used this weapon, demonstrating its willingness to violate basic human rights and use repressive methods beyond all legal norms," claims the ZLF.
They added that the use of "sound waves" was foreseen in Article 134 of the withdrawn Draft Law on Internal Affairs from 2022 and that this article was one of the most controversial parts of the draft law, which was withdrawn after strong public resistance.
"The progressive regime has lost all legitimacy to govern Serbia and must be removed. We call on citizens to show even greater support for student actions and citizen protests in the coming days, to support the idea of a general strike and other forms of civil disobedience, and to move towards the recovery of the state and its institutions by electing a transitional government," the ZLF statement reads.
A group of non-governmental organizations from Serbia announced today that, based on 500 reports from citizens and their testimonies, it is clear that during yesterday's protest there was a strong sonic boom, which caused a series of physical and psychological reactions among the citizens present.
Civic Initiatives, the Belgrade Center for Human Rights, CRTA, FemPlatz, the Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM) and the A11 Initiative stated in a statement that they are collecting testimonies from citizens who were present during the incident at the protest on March 15 in Belgrade, for which there is serious suspicion that some means were used to break up the demonstration.
"According to testimonies, at 19.11:19.12 and XNUMX:XNUMX, mostly in King Milan Street - between Beograđanka, SKC, JDP and Masarikova - those present felt a strong sound impact, accompanied by a wave of heat or wind. Witnesses described the sound as a strong roar resembling an airplane engine or a train in a tunnel, combined with a high frequency of a very loud whistle, a cannon shot or an explosion, while many had the feeling that a huge vehicle, a stampede or an invisible force was crashing into the crowd, causing panic and instinctive fear," the statement reads.
It is added that the analysis of testimonies so far shows that the wave was felt from the direction of Terazije, Beogradjanka and the National Assembly, which is confirmed by the largest number of respondents, and that citizens closer to "Beogradjanka" mostly reported that the wave came from the Serbian Parliament or from the city center, while those near Slavija and JDP felt it coming from behind them, from the direction of Kralj Milan.
"Most witnesses reported intense fear, panic and shock, with rapid heartbeat, trembling, disorientation and a feeling of loss of control, while some experienced headaches, pressure in the ears, ringing, nausea, vomiting, high pressure in the head and a feeling of heat on the body. Many experienced panic attacks, anxiety and prolonged agitation, while some suffered fainting and injuries from falling into the stampede, including sprains, dislocations and cuts," the statement reads, as reported by Beta.
Non-governmental organizations also recalled that the incident occurred during a 15-minute silence in memory of the 15 victims of the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station, at a moment when citizens stood quietly and paid their respects.
"This incident, which occurred during a moment of silence during the commemoration, raises serious questions about its origins, circumstances and the responsibility of those who caused it. We will continue to collect testimony in order to prepare and submit reports to the relevant domestic and international bodies," the statement reads.
These organizations have asked the competent institutions to urgently investigate these allegations and inform the public about their findings.
The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) today rejected allegations that members of military special units are carrying sound cannons in a photograph circulating on social media.
The aforementioned photograph shows members of a uniformed unit holding a weapon while standing on the terrace of the Serbian Presidency building, which overlooks central Belgrade's King Milan Street (formerly Marshal Tito Street).
The Ministry of Interior's statement states that the photo shows an anti-drone rifle, which is in use for the security protection of the President of Serbia, Beta reports.
"The Ministry of Interior once again emphasizes that the police have never used, and do not use, means not provided for by law. Members of the Ministry of Interior demonstrated the highest level of professionalism and restraint yesterday, and we especially emphasize that although they suffered terrible attacks, insults and provocations, they did not succumb to it and use force," the statement reads.
All the faculties in the blockade published an identical, short message this afternoon, around 15 p.m., condemning yesterday's actions by the Serbian authorities.
"You have hit our love and empathy with a cannon," the students stated on Twitter (X).
"With each of your atrocities, you are expanding and strengthening the front against yourself. Who are you?" reads the post, which was shared by all blocked faculties in Serbia.
(BETA)
The Ecological Uprising announced today that it will address the United Nations Human Rights Committee and request an investigation to determine whether the so-called "sound cannon" was used during yesterday's protests in Belgrade, or any other means prohibited by domestic and international law.
"Yesterday we had the opportunity to hear (Serbian President) Aleksandar Vučić say that a sound cannon was not used. We ask the question: What then happened yesterday during the tribute to those killed in Novi Sad? (...) How is it possible that all the participants who gathered on Kralja Milana Street describe the same effect, the same sound? How do you explain the stampede that followed if a sound cannon was not used?", the statement reads.
The Ecological Uprising also called on all citizens who have direct or indirect knowledge of the incident or footage of the event to contact them at: ekoustanak@gmail.com
During last night's large protest in downtown Belgrade, incidents were recorded during the tributes to the dead, and videos on social media show people suddenly separating in panic in the middle of the street.
Speculation soon arose on social media that it was a sonic weapon, illegal under Serbian law, which could cause pain, disorientation, dizziness, and hearing damage.
Several opposition and non-governmental organizations have condemned the currently unconfirmed use of the sound cannon, and some of them have called on citizens to contact them if they have had this experience in order to receive legal support.
The Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense denied that they used this device during the protests, and the Emergency Center and Minister of Health Zlatibor Lončar said that citizens with symptoms of exposure to sound cannon blasts had contacted health institutions.
(BETA)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić today called on the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor's Office to establish the truth about the use of a sound cannon at yesterday's protest and to prosecute those who went public with such deception and disturbed citizens.
At a government session at the "Serbia" Palace, Vučić asked ministers to inform the public that such information is incorrect and that citizens be told the truth.
"It's good that there were no major riots and that we managed to maintain peace and that we didn't use police forces to calm tensions, we managed to keep everything under control without raising a baton," he said.
He added that 186 Serbian farmers were left without their tractors yesterday and that someone was thoroughly destroying the property of Serbian farmers, stating that he had spoken with the president of the Serbian Progressive Party, Miloš Vučević, to have the SNS compensate the farmers for the damage from private funds.
"On Tuesday or Wednesday, you will acknowledge the resignation of the Prime Minister, that is March 18th or 19th, then the deadline is April 18th to form a Government if you want it, if not then we will go to elections, there is a deadline of 45 to 60 days, then in that case the elections would be in early June," Vučić said.
The President of Serbia also stated that 83 countries have so far confirmed their participation in the upcoming Specialized Exhibition Expo 2027, and told the ministers that they "must start doing their jobs."
"People want to see the state engaged, no more arguing with this or that, focus on your work."
Vučić also said that during the upcoming talks with EU representatives, he will ask them "about all the tricks they used and had to keep quiet about" in the previous weeks, and that Minister for European Integration Tanja Miščević should prepare him for the remaining points of the discussion.
"And I know what I'm going to tell them as a political conclusion," Vučić added.
Speaking about the situation in the country, he said that it is important for things to normalize and accordingly, it should be seen if there are people who do not want to work in education permanently, adding that children must learn and that the system must function.
(BETA)
In Belgrade's Pionirski Park today, a day after the large protest, only small groups of police officers remained, without riot gear, in their everyday uniforms, and they seemed completely relaxed. A Bete reporter spotted only a few people in civilian clothes inside the camp.
Tents are still present in the park in large numbers, but almost all of them seem to be empty. Some of the civilians are carrying various items, as if they are being rearranged or packed. Several trucks are transporting loaded field toilets.
Next to the metal fence that separates the park from the sidewalk, passersby occasionally stop and try to start a conversation with the police officers, angrily asking why they are there and who they are guarding.
New slogans were written on the destroyed tractors that surrounded the park two days ago during last night's protest.
Late last night, a large group of men of different ages left the park, many with bags, as if they were leaving the area completely, and they did not want to tell the Beta reporter what it was about, whether the camp was being completely disbanded.
As previously announced, students are in Pioneer Park opposing the blockade of the faculty.
The Dveri party assessed that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić ordered the use of a "sound cannon", an electronic device for breaking up demonstrations, because, as they state, he wanted to "cause panic and incidents at a large protest that he had been calling for for days", due to the decline in his own political popularity.
They also believe that the sound cannon is a tool that can cause lasting consequences for people's health, and that it was used "at a time when there was 15 minutes of silence, not when there was noise, in order to spread the effects of using the sound cannon to as many people as possible."
"The police, who acquired this dangerous device in 2022, were initially accused of using the sound cannon. The Ministry of Interior denied the use of the sound cannon, and the only worse option is that this device was used by the criminals of Aleksandar Vučić and (Secretary General of the Government of Serbia) Novak Nedić, who spent yesterday in and around Pionirski Park, ready to provoke conflicts. It is obvious that the excellent security organization of yesterday's protest by the students was not to Aleksandar Vučić's liking and that he could not just send his criminals against the people, so he decided to take this dangerous step," the statement said.
(Beta)
Students of the Law and Technical Faculties in Belgrade blocked the intersection of Bulevar kralja Aleksandra and Beogradska today, paying tribute to those killed in the collapse of the canopy at the Novi Sad Railway Station with a fifteen-minute silence.
The participants of the rally stood in silence from 11.52:12.07 to XNUMX:XNUMX.
There were no incidents during the blockade.
Lawyer and president of the Civil Committee for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Rodoljub Šabić, assessed that it is necessary to conduct an independent investigation without delay that would clarify how and why the fifteen-minute tribute for those killed in Novi Sad was interrupted during last night's protest in Belgrade.
Šabić states in a written statement that "numerous evidence, especially audiovisual recordings", points to suspicion that this illegal technology was used during the night, and that the official statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in which they stated that the police "did not use a sound cannon because they 'do not use illegal means'" is insufficient for at least two reasons.
"First, because the public and citizens have already faced similar attempts to evade responsibility. In several situations in the past few years, circumstances have indicated the intensive use of some other legally prohibited technologies with an implied high risk, i.e. violation of citizens' rights guaranteed by the Constitution," wrote Šabić.
As examples of such technologies, the lawyer cited intelligent video surveillance, biometric processing of personal data, equipment for intercepting and jamming communications, or for "illegal eavesdropping and location."
"Although the official response to this was that 'the police do not use illegal means and technologies', facts from reliable domestic and foreign sources confirmed that the Ministry of Interior certainly acquired such illegal means and, by all accounts, used them intensively," the statement said.
The lawyer assesses the Ministry of Interior's statement as inadequate also because, if the police did not cause this incident, their obligation to determine who did and prosecute the perpetrators is greater.
"It is unacceptable that the police are trying to evade responsibility while calmly tolerating the possibility that some parapolice, criminal, party or any other structures may possess and use prohibited technologies whose use poses a risk to the health and safety of citizens," believes Šabić.
(Beta)
The Serbian Ministry of Defense has rejected, as they state, "notorious lies and untruths" that they used a so-called "sound cannon" during a protest held in Belgrade.
"The Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Army have not used and do not use sound cannons or other means not provided for by law," the statement said.
The Movement for Overturning (PzP) of Serbia has asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to urgently determine who issued the order to use an LRAD (long-range acoustic device, "sound cannon") at a student and civic protest in Belgrade, during a tribute to the innocent victims of the canopy collapse in Novi Sad.
As stated in the party's statement, "the question is not whether the sound cannon was used, but who used it and on whose orders," and that "all free-thinking citizens of Serbia and the world public are appalled by the use of the LRAD."
"This act of violence requires an urgent investigation and prosecution of those responsible. We condemn this use of force in the strongest possible terms and warn that any excessive and illegal means of repression against citizens will be met with the strongest resistance from the public and the international community," the PzP stated.
The statement assessed that this act is an attack on basic human rights, freedom of assembly and expression, and that it is "particularly scandalous that it was applied at the very moment when demonstrators were paying tribute to those killed at the Novi Sad train station."
"The sonic attack caused a stampede, panic and chaos in the crowd, with several citizens injured. The use of such weapons in civil demonstrations is illegal and inhumane, and its presence in the hands of unknown subjects poses a serious security threat," the PzP believes.
(Beta)
The Democratic Party (DS) of Serbia has called on citizens who were suspected of being exposed to a sound cannon during the protests in Belgrade to contact them to help them file a criminal complaint.
"The use of a sound cannon, a prohibited weapon that can cause serious health damage, represents a serious form of abuse of force and must not go unpunished. Filing mass reports is key to establishing the responsibility of those who ordered and carried out this attack on citizens. The DS will provide legal support and assistance to anyone who wishes to report this repressive act. Contact us - together we will ensure that justice is served," the party said.
DS President Srđan Milivojević accused the government of using a sound cannon at the protest last night and added that he would urgently inform the international community and European Union (EU) institutions about this.
In a statement, Milivojević said that these weapons cause pain, disorientation and dizziness and can lead to permanent hearing damage.
During last night's large protest in downtown Belgrade, incidents were recorded during the tributes to the dead, and videos on social media show people suddenly separating in panic in the middle of the street.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also denied the use of this weapon at a press conference, adding that the devices in the hands of special forces that citizens photographed during the protest were "anti-drone rifles."
(Beta)
Bonus video:
