Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dačić has come under fire after playing what he said was the sound of a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), commonly referred to as a “sound cannon,” during a parliamentary debate on a no-confidence motion against the government.
During the National Assembly session, Dačić sought to refute allegations that Serbian authorities used an LRAD against protesters during the March 15, 2025 demonstrations. Using his mobile phone, he played an audio recording that he claimed was from an LRAD deployed during the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, insisting that such a device had never been used in Serbia.
“The sound cannon was never used in Serbia. I played the sound so everyone could hear what it actually sounds like,” Dačić told lawmakers, adding that the LRAD units purchased by Serbia in 2021 remain stored and that their crowd-control function has never been activated.
His demonstration triggered strong reactions from opposition figures and independent analysts, who argued that the move trivialized serious allegations surrounding the 2025 protests.
Roland Šipoš, a local councilor from the Voice of Youth electoral list, accused the government of turning parliament into “a stage for cheap tricks” instead of providing answers about the events of March 15.
“The official narrative has changed several times. First the authorities denied possessing such a device, then admitted owning LRAD systems but claimed they had never been deployed,” Šipoš said, arguing that the government’s shifting explanations undermine its credibility.
Željko Veselinović, an MP from the Workers’ Party and president of the Sloga Trade Union, said thousands of people reported hearing an unusual sound during the March protests, although he questioned whether it was produced by an LRAD.
“There was certainly an unnatural sound that day. Whether it came from a sound cannon or another type of acoustic device should be thoroughly investigated,” Veselinović said, calling for an independent inquiry into the incident.
Independent MP Slavica Radovanović also criticized Dačić’s actions, arguing that the minister was attempting to discredit those who claimed an acoustic weapon had been used during the demonstrations.
Radovanović further accused the government of failing to investigate allegations of excessive police force during the protests and said accountability remained necessary regardless of the debate over the device itself.
The exchange took place during the second day of Serbia’s parliamentary debate on a motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Đuro Macut’s government, where opposition lawmakers have repeatedly raised questions about the government’s handling of the March 2025 protests and the alleged use of crowd-control technologies.
