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Did Serbian authorities use a type of sonic weapon against protesters in Belgrade, causing a man to have a heart attack and later die? Here's what we know: The claim that authorities fired an acoustic weapon during a moment of silence at a huge anti-government rally on March 15, 2025, could not be independently verified by Lead Stories. But an NGO known for conducting audio investigations says there is evidence a sonic weapon was used. The story will be updated as we learn more.

The claim originated in a video (archived here) posted on TikTok on March 16, 2025. It opened, as translated from Serbian to English by Lead Stories staff:

The man, who suffered a heart attack last night due to the use of a sound cannon, died an hour ago in the Emergency Center.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Mon Mar 17 12:57:03 2025 UTC)

Videos

Social media posts on TikTok (archived here) and on X (archived here) show a large number of people filling Kralja Milana in downtown Belgrade when a sudden sound appears to trigger panic, with people falling over each other to get away and leaving the middle of the street empty.

Serbian authorities have denied using an acoustic weapon or a sound cannon against protesters, saying it is illegal to use such a weapon. The Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) can cause brain and auditory damage, and its use has been banned in a number of countries.

But Earshot.Ngo, which conducts audio investigations into alleged human rights violations, says in an post on X (archived here) that it received 12 videos that "document the moment where a weapon was allegedly used against protesters."

It said "4 of these videos contain a sound consistent with the noise produced by a Vortex Ring Gun or Vortex Cannon." Earshot said it is asking anyone with video footage from that night that captures the specific sound to get in touch.

Victims

The claim that a man died of a heart attack was refuted by Serbian Minister of Health Zlatibor Lončar, who said on March 16, 2025, during a government session. "According to the records of the Clinical Centre, no one has died since yesterday at 11:52," Lončar said during the session, which was also attended by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. Serbian news agency Tanjug and other media outlets also reported Lončar denied the allegations regarding the death of an individual that was allegedly caused by the effects of a sound cannon at a protest in Belgrade.

Background

The incident occurred during what is being described as the largest protest-to-date in Belgrade, with official police estimates putting the number at more than 100,000, while independent observers put the number at more than 300,000 people, according to published reports.

The protest is the latest and largest that began in November 2024 after 15 people were killed when the outdoor roof of a train stain in Novi Sad collapsed. The protests demanded accountability for the deaths that protesters claimed were the result of faulty construction spurred on by fraud and corruption.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has blamed the protests on a Western-backed effort to push him from power.