Serbians Protest over Controversial Lithium Deal in Belgrade
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, on Saturday to demonstrate against the revival of a controversial lithium mining project. The project, seen as critical to Europe’s green energy transition, has become a political flashpoint in Serbia due to widespread concerns about its potential environmental impacts.
Ahead of the rally, two prominent protest leaders were briefly detained by security officials, who warned that any attempts to block roads during the protest would be deemed illegal. Undeterred, the protesters chanted slogans such as “Rio Tinto, get out of Serbia” and “You won’t dig” as they marched through downtown Belgrade.
The protests later escalated when demonstrators entered Belgrade’s main railway station, blocking tracks and halting traffic.
The mining project, located near the western city of Loznica, has long been a contentious issue in Serbia. The Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto discovered significant lithium deposits there in 2004, but the project was put on hold in 2022 following mass protests.
The government recently revived the project after a court ruled that the decision to revoke Rio Tinto’s permits was unconstitutional.
This development has reignited public outcry, with environmentalists fearing that the mine could pollute water sources and pose a risk to public health.
Slobodan Stanimirovic, a 58-year-old resident of western Serbia’s Radjevina near the proposed mining site, expressed his concerns: “I am in Belgrade because the survival of life in Serbia is being defended here.”
The Belgrade protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations across Serbia since the mine’s licences were reinstated. Activists are demanding that legislators pass a law permanently banning the mining of lithium and boron in the country. Environmental groups have also threatened to block major traffic routes and engage in civil disobedience if the government does not take action before an August 10 deadline.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has assured the public that no mining operations will commence until environmental safety protocols are firmly established.
Source: theguadian
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