Roar of "sonic cannon" not audible in original footage from protest - prosecutor's office

BELGRADE - In an analysis published on Sunday, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade said a roaring sound typical of sonic cannons was not audible in original footage from a March 15, 2025 protest in central Belgrade.

It said the original footage, made and published by Stefan Radic, the user of the Radio puls Grocka Facebook account, had been the first footage released following the protest and did not contain the sound, which it noted had been edited into other footage shared on social media networks in the days that followed to create the impression that a "sonic cannon" had been used.

In addition to an official statement, the Prosecutor's Office published a 36-page analysis, video and audio footage made on that date, as well as footage shared on social media in the days that followed.

In the analysis, the Prosecutor's Office noted that the fact that an unusual roaring sound could not be heard in the original footage but was audible in edited footage constituted the key difference between the original and edited footage.

In view of the consequences of such actions, the Prosecutor's Office announced criminal prosecution of all individuals who have intentionally contributed to this through their actions.

"Since evidence gathered gives rise to suspicion that disinformation about alleged use of a so-called 'sonic cannon' or other similar device has been spread publicly by certain individuals in a purposeful and premeditated manner, that unidentified individuals have altered original audio and video footage made during the 15 minutes of silence (observed for the victims of the November 1, 2024 railway station canopy collapse in Novi Sad) and published the altered footage so that edited footage contains the characteristic "roar" that leads citizens to the idea that a device generating such a sound was really used, and since such actions have led to months-long spread of panic and unsettling of the public, as well as to unsettling of and engagement by the international community, which has also invested its own resources to verify information on whether such a device was really used in Serbia during the protest gathering, the Prosecutor's Office will take all measures and actions within its competence to identify as well as criminally prosecute all individuals who have purposefully caused and helped the spread of that untrue information," said the analysis, published on the website of the Prosecutor's Office.