Thousands of people took to the streets of Serbia’s capital Belgrade on Saturday to protest against the reopening of a controversial lithium mine that is set to provide a vital source of electricity for Europe’s green energy transition.
Before the rally, two leading protest figures said they were briefly detained by security agents and warned that any actions to block roads during protests would be considered illegal.
Thousands of people rallied in central Belgrade, chanting “Rio Tinto get out of Serbia” and “No mining” before marching through the city.
Protesters then entered Belgrade’s main train station, blocking the tracks and halting traffic.
Serbia has vast lithium deposits near the western city of Loznica where a mining project being developed by Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto has been a long-standing political bone of contention in the Balkan nation in recent years over its potential environmental impact.
The deposit was discovered in 2004, but weeks of mass protests forced the government to halt the project in 2022.
The government reinstated the project following a court ruling last month that said an order revoking the permit granted to Rio Tinto was “contrary to the constitution and law”.
The Serbian government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the EU, which is seen as a first step in developing Serbia’s lithium resources.
Lithium is a strategically valuable metal needed in electric vehicle batteries and is key to the auto industry’s transition to greener production.
But the project is unpopular with many in Serbia over concerns that the mine will pollute water sources and put public health at risk.
“I’m in Belgrade because the survival of Serbia’s life is being defended here,” said Slobodan Stanimirovic, 58, from Radzijevina in western Serbia, near the site of the future mine.
The protest in Belgrade was the latest in a series of demonstrations held across the Balkans after the mining licence was reinstated.
Activists and protesters are calling on lawmakers to pass legislation that would permanently ban lithium and boron mining in Serbia.
Environmental groups said they were prepared to engage in civil disobedience by blocking major transport arteries across Serbia if the government did not act by an August 10 deadline set by activists.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has repeatedly pledged that mining operations will not begin until guarantees on environmental safety protocols have been established.
