Chicago police bulk up with $1m in riot gear for ’peaceful’ Nato summit protests
►http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/11/nato-protests-chicago-police-riot-gear
LRADs have been purchased by the US army and navy, and have also been used in commercial shipping as an attempt to drive away pirates. The device was first used at a protest in the US at the G20 Pittsburgh summit in September 2009, however there are ongoing complaints that its use there caused some people to suffer permanent damage.
Karen Piper, a university lecturer, claims she suffered irreversible hearing damage that day, and is currently bringing a legal case against the city of Pittsburgh. “This is a device that has the capability to inflict permanent hearing loss on people,” Piper’s lawyer, Vic Walczak, told the Guardian, adding that the device is “more dangerous than a Taser”.
“We don’t believe it should be used against demonstrators. It should not be used outside the battlefield.”