Over 3,000 Accounts on the Impact of an Unknown Substance at the Belgrade Protest
Protest on March 15th in Belgrade, Photo: Reuters
The Belgrade Center for Human Rights, Civic Initiatives, the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM, Initiative A11, FemPlatz, and CRTA announced that they have been contacted by over 3,000 citizens recounting the events that abruptly disrupted the 15-minute silence dedicated to the victims of the canopy collapse in Novi Sad during the “15. FOR 15” protest on Saturday, March 15, which led to significant unrest.
They noted that representatives from the Belgrade Center for Human Rights had a discussion today with members of the Criminal Police Directorate of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs (UKP MUP), who confirmed that they are investigating this incident at the request of the First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade.
“During our conversation with UKP members, we emphasized that since Saturday evening, numerous citizens have reached out to us to describe the incident, report health concerns, and physical injuries. We have advised them to seek medical attention if they experience any health issues or symptoms of harm, as the nature of the substance used and its potential health impacts remain unknown,” the civil society organizations stated.
They further indicated that in talks with the UKP, they were informed that the First Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade should publicly call for citizens willing to help clarify the details of the incident and the methods utilized during the 15-minute silence.
“It is crucial for citizens to reach out to the prosecutor’s office and, if they choose, to share video footage of the events, their testimonies, and medical documentation regarding their injuries—both from the chaos and from the effects of an unidentified device or method,” concluded the civil society organizations in their statement.
During the protest on Saturday, an unknown device was deployed against citizens, resulting in panic and various health issues due to its unnaturally high-frequency sound.
However, government officials maintain that no so-called “sound cannon” (banned by law) or similar weapon was deployed against the protesters to disperse the gathering.
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