G20 Protesters Blasted By "Sound Cannon" 630
aaandre sends word of the use of a "sound cannon" on G20 protesters in Pittsburgh. Only a few hundred protesters took to the streets. The NY Times notes: "City officials said they believed it was the first time the sound cannon had been used publicly." The device projects a narrow beam of extremely annoying sound, at levels that can reach 151 decibels, over a distance of a mile or more. The Guardian notes, "It is feared the sounds emitted are loud enough to damage eardrums and even cause fatal aneurysms." Officials of the company that manufactures the sound cannon say that ear damage is only possible if someone manages to stand directly in front of the device for an extended period.
Freedom of assembly (Score:5, Funny)
You have the right to freely assemble, everyone knows that. But nowhere - in no so-called constitution - does it say you also have the right to hear when you're assembled. Nor do you have the right to leave the assembly retaining all your ability to hear.
Once we learn our civic rights, and what we're not entitled to, we'll be a much happier and easier people for the government to govern.
Re:WHAT? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Testing the limits of repression (Score:1, Funny)
Depends which way they're pointed.
Obligatory... (Score:1, Funny)
DON'T SONIC BOOM ME, BRO!
the projected sound? (Score:2, Funny)
Extremely Annoying Sound (Score:1, Funny)
>The device projects a narrow beam of extremely annoying sound
This is great; Celine Dion can never have too much air-time.
What? (Score:2, Funny)
What?
Re:Wow... (Score:5, Funny)
Plus, seems like some $0.50 earplugs would be a good defense against this,
Not really. There's something called bone conduction, and it actually accounts for around 70% of your hearing. Your skull literally conducts the sound to your inner ear. This is also why your voice always sounds weird when you hear a recording of it played back to you.
So the 150 decibel annoying noise would probably only be around 95 decibels with earplugs, but even that is pretty loud. Especially if, as another poster noted, they were playing Celine Dion. Then it would be past the pain threshold.
Re:Department of Orwellian Reasoning (Score:5, Funny)
As far as I can tell, they're just a bunch of punks who are causing damage and rioting for the sake of causing damage and rioting under the false pretense of standing up for something.
From what I saw during the Seattle WTO protests, they accomplished the acquisition of a lot of free televisions.
Re:Extremely annoying sound (Score:3, Funny)
Actually, the project's name was originally "Musically Integrated Neuro-Mechanical Energy Interdictor."
i miss the good old days (Score:2, Funny)
when a bunch of large irish cops with handlebar moustaches and silly hats would just beat the crap out of everyone with their billy clubs.
bean bags (Score:4, Funny)
Yeah they're not as useful anymore but in the early 70s these were great for crowd control at protests; hippies would just plop down in them and light up a doobie and forget what they were protesting about. Now, if they could get this sound cannon to blast Pink Floyd ....
Eh? Can you speak up? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Department of Orwellian Reasoning (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Next step: (Score:5, Funny)
SO now protesters need to cover themselves something tasty but only 1/64th of an inch thick. That way the pain ray won't work on them but they'll get a delicious microwave meal instead!
Is there anything bacon can't do?