Mining Discontent

Listen to Today's Edition:

Thousands of Serbians took to the streets of the capital Belgrade over the weekend to protest against an ambitious lithium mining project in western Serbia, a project that officials say will benefit the country, but activists warn would cause irreversible environmental damage, the BBC reported.

Protesters marched in the streets Friday, blocking two railway stations and chanting “Rio Tinto get out of Serbia,” referring to the Anglo-Australian mining company involved in the project.

Authorities estimated that up to 27,000 people participated in the demonstrations, with government officials threatening legal action against organizers.

President Aleksandar Vučić suggested that authorities received information from Russia that the protests were politically motivated and part of a group aimed to bring down the government, according to Reuters.

Friday’s protests are part of a long-running saga over the mining project in the western Jadar Valley, which contains some of Europe’s biggest lithium deposits. The Serbian government previously revoked Rio Tinto’s license to mine in the valley in 2022 following widespread demonstrations at the time.

But the project restarted last month following a court decision and a government reversal.

Demonstrators demanded a permanent ban on lithium and boron mining, warning that the project jeopardizes agricultural land and public health due to potential pollution and the disruption of the ecosystem.

They gave the government a Saturday deadline – which already expired – to bar the exploration and exploitation of the material.

Vučić has emphasized that the project will abide by strict environmental safety protocols, while the government has said it will boost Serbia’s economy.

Lithium is a crucial raw material for electric vehicle batteries and is integral for the transition to zero-emission cars.

The Jadar Valley project – valued at $2.4 billion – could meet 90 percent of Europe’s current lithium needs and significantly reduce the continent’s reliance on imports from America and Asia.

Observers told Reuters that the plan could turn Rio Tinto into one of the world’s biggest lithium producers.