17 Mar Citizen testimonies: The sound that knocks you down, panic and anxiety – suspicion of the use of a crowd control device
Civic Initiatives, Belgrade Center for Human Rights, Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA), FemPlatz, the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM) and the A11 Initiative are collecting testimonies of citizens who were present during the incident at protest on March 15th in Belgrade, where there was serious suspicion that a crowd control device was used.
In a short period of time, these organizations received over five hundred reports via phone, email, social media, as well as through a later-formed questionnaire. According to testimonies, at 19:11 and 19:12, primarily in Kralja Milana Street — between Beograđanka, the Student Cultural Centre (SKC), the Yugoslav Drama Theatre (JDP), and Masarikova Street — those present felt a powerful sound blast, followed by a wave of heat or wind. Witnesses described the sound as a loud roar similar to a jet engine or a train in a tunnel, combined with a high-frequency whistle, a cannon blast, or an explosion. Many reported feeling as if a massive vehicle, a stampede, or an invisible force was crashing into the crowd, causing panic and instinctive fear.
The analysis of so far testimonies shows that the wave was felt coming from the direction of Terazije, Beograđanka, and the National Assembly, as confirmed by the majority of respondents. Citizens closer to Beograđanka mostly reported that the wave came from the Assembly or the city center, while those near Slavija and JDP felt it coming from behind, from the direction of Kralja Milana Street. After collecting more testimonies, a more comprehensive analysis of the direction and movement of the wave will be conducted, based on information about where people were located and from which side they felt the wave.
Most witnesses reported intense fear, panic, and shock, accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, trembling, disorientation, and a sense of losing control, while some experienced headaches, pressure in the ears, buzzing, nausea, vomiting, high pressure in the head, and a feeling of heat on their bodies. Many experienced panic attacks, anxiety, and prolonged distress, while some suffered from fainting and injuries due to falling in the stampede, including sprains, dislocations, and cuts.
The incident occurred during a 15 minute silence in memory of the 15 victims who died in the collapse of the canopy at the train station in Novi Sad, at the moment when citizens were peacefully standing and paying their respects.
Based on the collected testimonies, it is clear that during the protest, a strong sound blast occurred, which triggered a range of physical and psychological reactions in the present citizens. This incident, which happened during the moment of silence while paying respects, raises serious questions about its origin, circumstances, and the responsibility of those who caused it.
We will continue gathering testimonies in order to prepare and submit reports to the relevant domestic and international bodies. We demand that the competent institutions urgently investigate these allegations and inform the public of their findings.
We call on citizens who were present at the mentioned locations at that time to report their experiences through the form – the form is available at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDKZUrJaGCc_o7BLWGmJPULIQnnN-ygXW9Wmy00kIHlIPfBQ/viewform