Acoustic Weapon Hits Georgian Protesters (Updated)

By Sharon Weinberger EmailNovember 14, 2007 | 9:46:07 AMCategories: Lasers and Ray Guns, Less-lethal

As regular readers of the DANGER ROOM know, we receive many letters from people who want us to investigate reports of exotic new weaponry being used on civilians. Such claims usually emerge because the writer has read about some new pain ray on DANGER ROOM, and believes it is responsible for something they've experienced. In many cases, the writer is simply mistaken.

That brings me to today. I received a note half in English, half in Russian, pointing me to videos on You Tube, wanting to know if it's possible that the Active Denial System, the Pentagon's nonlethal heat beam, could have been used on protesters during recent opposition demonstrations in Tbilisi, Georgia.

"Yeahhhhhh, right," I thought to myself. The U.S. military hasn't even managed to get the Active Denial System deployed to Iraq, so it's not very likely that it's being used in Georgia.

Then I watched the video. Shortly after minute three, I see it: No, it's not the Active Denial System, but it is another nonlethal weapon. And it looks a heck of a lot like the Long Range Acoustic Device (or at least a knockoff), a device that emits a focused sound beam to drive people back.

There's more footage here showing the acoustic weapon (along with a water cannon) at work. For supporters of nonlethal weaponry, having the devices used against peaceful protesters is the worst sort of PR.

More:
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/11/acoustic-weapon.html


Also:

Georgia Police Turns Sonic Blaster on Demonstrators
By Noah Shachtman EmailNovember 15, 2007 | 11:43:14 AMCategories: Lasers and Ray Guns, Less-lethal

There's more evidence that the Saakashvili regime in Georgia is using sound weapons against opposition protestors. This English-language footage from Russia Today shows riot police rolling through the streets of Tblisi in pickup trucks, small dishes in hand. A high frequency pulse follows. "Georgian police used an acoustic gun -- it's a non-lethal weapon that disorients people for a period of time," says one "special weapons expert."

"Similar such guns are also used by the Iraq police," the Russia Today piece claims. That, I'm not so sure about. But the sonic systems -- which can also be used as a long-range "hailer," projecting sound far, far away -- have been tested out by American troops in Iraq. They were employed by the New York Police Department during the last Republican National Convention -- and by military police during Hurricane Katrina. A cruise ship even used a sonic blast to ward off Somali pirates in '05.

Reader TM points out that short-range versions of the same technology can be bought online -- for as little as $898 a pop.

More:
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/11/georgia-police-.html


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dissent is now officially against the law - everywhere!

Coming soon to a convention near you: Sound like it has never (or at least, rarely) been heard before.

snip>

Outside the convention hall, New York City police plan to control protesters using a device that directs sound for up to 1,500 feet in a spotlight-like beam. Meanwhile, a display of former Republican presidents inside the hall will feature campaign speeches that are funneled to listeners through highly focused audio beams.

"These are totally different from the way an ordinary speaker emits sound," said Elwood (Woody) Norris, founder and head of American Technology Corp. of San Diego. "It's like it's inside your head."

Norris, an intrepid entrepreneur who has no college degree but more than 43 patents to his name, invented both the crowd control tool, called the Long Range Acoustical Device (LRAD), and the display audio technology, called HyperSonic Sound (HSS).

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=99472


Bet Norris has improved his little inventions since 2004.

Thanks for the heads-up on this, Ian.

If I were a protester and got hit with that thing, once it was "off", I'd be madder than hell and would want to take out the guy with the dish. And it would certainly inflame the crowds around anyone who got hit. Non-violent protests would get very ugly, very early.

And after a few protests, people would learn how to protect themselves from the beam, be it earphones or protective headgear.

Pretty soon, the stories of people hit by the beam would get out.... and guess what? Nobody would be intimidated by this any more.

And the negative publicity generated by the use of these devices would serve none but the most obviously dictatorial governments.

You can get ear protection just about anywhere, and if it can be used to protect against everything from power tools to firearms discharges to jet engines, it can be used to protect against sonic weapons.

BWAAAAHAAAAHAAAAHAAAAHAAA... :tinfoilhat:

sw
:P

...I thought that maybe he was exagerrating a bit. But here we are just a few years later and it's being field tested on real citizens. Only another year or so before we start seeing it used here.

"For supporters of nonlethal weaponry, having the devices used against peaceful protesters is the worst sort of PR."

What the fuck did they THINK it would be used for? There is absolutely no modern military use for weaponry like this or the heat beams or any of the many gas or scatter-shot weapons being used or developed. NONE. Modern warfare is not regiments of soldiers marching across a field - and these weapons are only useful against groups such as that.

Who do you find in groups these days?

Protesters and demonstrators. That's the target these weapons are designed for, and anyone who thought differently is fucking stupid.