Why YSK: Because if you are planning to attend a protest, you might want to be prepared for the possibility that these technologies are used against you.
I know, this sounds like some conspiracy nutjob’s imagination, but it’s real. Here are some wikipedia links:
A directed-energy weapon (DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy without a solid projectile, including lasers, microwaves, particle beams, and sound beams. Potential applications of this technology include weapons that target personnel, missiles, vehicles, and optical devices.
Examples of such weapons include:
A long-range acoustic device (LRAD), acoustic hailing device (AHD) or sound cannon is a specialized loudspeaker that produces sound at high power for communicating at a distance. It has been used as a method of crowd control, which has caused permanent hearing damage, having an extremely high decibel capacity (up to 160 dB measured at one meter from the device). Other uses have included for negotiations in siege situations; to deal with piracy at sea; for mass notification during natural disasters or other emergencies; and by defense forces, including several navies.
The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department used a LRAD at the January 21, 2017 Women’s March. Protesters at the June 1, 2020 Washington, D.C. George Floyd protests said police gave little or no warning before employing aggressive tactics against them. A 2015 settlement requires federal police to give large crowds several loud dispersal orders before deploying chemical irritants and other dispersion tools. Using an LRAD to issue loud protest dispersal orders would have complied with the 2015 settlement requirement. In September 2020, it was revealed that federal officials had explored the use of the device and the Active Denial System (“heat ray”) to disperse civilians protesting outside the White House in June of that year, but had been advised that the National Guard was not currently in possession of either device.
LRAD was reportedly used by the Oakland Police Department during the clearance of the Occupy Oakland encampment on the morning of 25 October 2011. Police in San Diego, California, used an LRAD on May 27, 2016, to order anti-Trump protesters to disperse.
The Active Denial System (ADS) is a directed-energy weapon developed by the U.S. military, designed for area denial, perimeter security and crowd control. Informally, the weapon is also called the heat ray since it works by heating the surface of targets, such as the skin of targeted human beings.
The ADS was deployed in 2010 with the United States military in the Afghanistan War, but was withdrawn without seeing combat.
In 2014, there were reports that Russia and China were developing their own versions of the Active Denial System.
Video of either ADS or LRAD in use during a protest in Serbia recently:
Warning: could be experienced as scary
Woh - when I originally saw the clip I didn’t realize how quiet and orderly it was prior.
My mind would have definitely gone towards someone in a vehicle plowing through.
Yea I was searching Mahmoud Khalil on Youtube and some youtube short got recommended, and at first I thought it was some conspiracy nutjob, but I was like whatever, I’m bored and want to see what crazy stuff they got and they shows the serbian protests and I just had to google it and its terrifying how real it is. I think might have heard of LARD but then my brain kinda burried it since I don’t really attend protests.
It looks like the noise caused some panic but that there was no real impact otherwise?
Sudden crowd movements are a real impact with potentially deadly consequences, panic is not something to be dismissed
In theory, there should be no permanent harm, but who knows what they will do with this technology in the future.
They could tweak the technology and use it to damage people’s organs, then maintain plausible deniability because no bullets were ever fired, and its much easier to cover it up. The government of Serbia is already trying to deny that the police used it.
This is the most useful YSK post I’ve ever seen on Lemmy. Thanks.
The ADS is weird. It basically does the same thing as a microwave at long range.
I remember watching some tests of the system in college. It was great for crowd dispersal, because it causes burning sensations quickly.
But, because of its frequency, it can be blocked by aluminum foil. And because it’s directed, if you, say, line a jacket, or the back of your protest sign, you can protect yourself and those behind you.
160dB noise thing though? That’s a bit different of a story. I don’t think the operators would be immune from that.
Standard shop ear protection with a riot shield & he was able to walk almost up to the device at 150db:
You should also know that you have the technology to build such a device yourself! Just ask your nerdy university friends and professors!
It would be ironic if tin foil hats could deflect directed-energy weapon
