Mine planned

Thousands of Serbs protest against lithium mining

State flags and flags of the Jadar Valley were on display at the rally, but no party flags, even though the opposition supports the protests.

(Bild: APA/AFP/MARKO DJOKOVIC)

Several thousand people gathered on Terazije Square in Belgrade on Saturday evening to protest against government plans to build a lithium mine in the Jadar Valley near Loznica in western Serbia. "They will not mine" and "betrayal" were shouted by participants at the plans. Two train stations in the Serbian capital were occupied for hours - until the police intervened.

According to Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, 14 people were arrested during the night of the protest on suspicion of criminal offenses, three others for misdemeanors and two foreigners for their presence at the demonstration near important state institutions.

The protest rally, organized by various environmental organizations, followed rallies by lithium opponents in around 50 cities and towns in recent weeks. According to earlier announcements by President Aleksandar Vucic, the mine is due to start operations in 2028 and produce 58,000 tons of lithium annually. The mine planned by the Rio Tinto Group is to be built in an agricultural region.

Nationwide traffic blockades announced
The Ministry of the Interior and the public prosecutor's office called for calm protests. The organizers of the association "We will not give up the Jadar Valley", Zlatko Kokanovic and Nebojsa Petrovic, were quoted in the afternoon in the news service BIA, where they were informed that the possible traffic blockades would be illegal. Their association had announced 40 days ago that it would undertake nationwide traffic blockades if the lithium mining process was not stopped by the authorities by Saturday.

State flags and flags of the Jadar Valley were on display at the rally, but no party flags, even though the opposition supports the protests.

(Bild: APA/AFP/MARKO DJOKOVIC)

Before the rally on Saturday, Kokanovic did not want to reveal to the media where the traffic blockades planned by his association would take place. However, he hinted that they would begin on Sunday at three or five locations in Belgrade and extend inland on Monday. 

Test drilling site in the Jadar Valley

(Bild: APA/AP)

Fear of groundwater contamination
Environmentalists criticize, among other things, that lithium mining contaminates the groundwater with heavy metals and therefore poses a threat to the drinking water supply of local residents. "Is it patriotism to help a multinational company, or is true patriotism the fight for clean air, land and water that feeds us all in Serbia?" said actress Jelena Stupljanin at the protest rally in Belgrade. 

President Aleksandar Vucic raises the possibility of a referendum on the lithium abba.

(Bild: AFP)

Europe's largest lithium deposit
President Vucic condemned the station blockades, but signaled a willingness to talk and a possible referendum on the lithium project. In the presence of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Serbia's government signed a declaration of intent with EU Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic in Belgrade on July 19, which is intended to enable environmentally friendly extraction of the highly sought-after light metal in the Jadar Valley. Europe's largest lithium deposit is located in the Jadar Valley in western Serbia. The raw material is important for the production of electric cars.