A military-grade crowd-control device drew attention Monday night during a tense anti-ICE protest in a Minneapolis suburb, as Minnesota State Patrol officers moved to disperse demonstrators after several days of unrest. The device, known as a long-range acoustic device, or LRAD, was introduced as officers attempted to restore order outside a hotel believed by protesters to be housing federal immigration agents.
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State troopers confronted demonstrators outside the SpringHill Suites in Maple Grove, where the crowd refused repeated orders to disperse. Officers warned that an LRAD would be deployed and issued a countdown before activating it. The LRAD is a highly directional sound system originally designed for military use, capable of broadcasting amplified voice commands over long distances or emitting piercing tones meant to disorient crowds.
Experts have cautioned that close-range exposure to LRAD systems can pose health risks, including permanent hearing loss, ruptured eardrums, migraines, nausea, balance problems and panic reactions. Marine Col. Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, compared the experience to overwhelming auditory force, saying, “If you’re in the cone, it sounds like the voice of God is speaking to you.”
State patrol officials said the device was only used to amplify dispersal warnings and that no deterrent tones or sirens were activated, despite claims circulating online. The standoff ended with 26 arrests, with police stating those taken into custody were involved in unlawful assembly and riotous conduct.
The protest followed the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti during a confrontation with federal officers earlier in the weekend. The Maple Grove demonstration took place amid uncertainty within federal immigration enforcement leadership in Minnesota, as Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino and several agents were expected to leave the state under mounting scrutiny. Authorities said it was unclear whether any federal agents were actually staying at the targeted hotel.
The LRAD system uses high-frequency speakers to concentrate sound into a narrow beam, allowing commands to cut through ambient noise but potentially overwhelming people at close range. Designed as a non-lethal alternative to tear gas, rubber bullets or pepper spray, the technology has drawn renewed attention amid speculation about so-called sonic weapons referenced by President Donald Trump in recent remarks about U.S. military capabilities, adding another layer of controversy to its appearance at the protest.[/read]