Protesters in Serbia block railway in campaign to ban lithium mining

A series of almost everyday protests throughout Serbia against lithium and boron exploration and mining culminated in a massive rally in Belgrade. The renewed campaign for a nationwide ban began six weeks ago. Local activists from the Ne damo Jadar group and the SEOS environmentalists coalition, who are resisting the revival of Rio Tinto’s Jadar project, initiated a railway blockade in the capital city.

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Belgrade following weeks of protests in more than fifty cities and towns in Serbia. They repeated their demand to ban geological exploration and exploitation of lithium and boron minerals by law in the entire country. After a rally in the center of the capital, the protesters blocked the two main railway stations, led by the Ne damo Jadar activist group and its Association of Serbian Environmental Organizations (SEOS).

Early this morning, riot police threw the demonstrators out of the two railway stations and arrested 14 people.

Prvi dron snimci večerašnjeg protesta. pic.twitter.com/GeMMcnu3Hu

— Eko Straža (@EkoStraza) August 10, 2024

President Vučić: No decisions for two more years

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić accused the movement against lithium mining of attempting to topple the government in a colored revolution. He insisted that he would safeguard public health and the environment and went as far to say that he would be “the worst cop” for Rio Tinto. On the other hand, he denied claims that lithium mining in Jadar would be harmful.

“I think all the worst” about the company, he stated. There will be no decisions for two more years, according to Vučić.

He again claimed that the groups organizing the protests are paid from abroad. But Vučić also said that he invited them to discuss the matter before and that they rejected it.

Protesters committed violence at the Belgrade rally and other criminal acts such as blocking transportation infrastructure, the president asserted.

Vučić reiterated that he would be in favor of holding a referendum  in Loznica or entire Serbia.

Movement leader accuses country’s top officials of harrassment

Speaking on stage yesterday, Zlatko Kokanović from Ne damo Jadar said the authorities have targeted and harassed him and his fellow activists over the last fifty days. A month ago, the police arrested and criminally charged him and other protesters from the Jadar area in the territory of the city of Loznica for blocking the railway.

“It is the very leadership of this government, led by the president, prime minister, National Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabić and the entire government and its ministers, who have been advertising the Jadar project on their Instagram profiles. But us, the common folk, they call foreign agents, collaborators of occupiers. They say that we work for foreign [intelligence] services. And that we took money,” Kokanović stressed.

He said the groups opposing lithium exploration and mining won’t allow the activities. “Still, they are the ones that didn’t take money, and they advertise it. Who is crazy here, then?” Kokanović told the crowd.

A Serbian nongovernmental organization, Arhiv javnih skupova, which analyzes public gatherings, issued a preliminary estimate that 40,000 people attended the protest.

Environmentalists, locals radicalize protests against lithium mining after government ignores their ultimatum

At the protests that culminated in the Belgrade rally, citizens warned that they wouldn’t allow Rio Tinto to open its Jadar lithium mine and processing facility. Moreover, they are opposing lithium mining in other areas as well as mining projects for other metals. Kokanović and the Ne damo Jadar group live in Gornje Nedeljice, the site for Rio Tinto’s proposed mine.

The nationwide protests also addressed other local issues. The Ne damo Jadar group and SEOS even said several times that they weren’t involved in many of the said gatherings. They asked activists in other areas to keep focus on the dispute regarding lithium exploration and mining.

Informal environmentalist organization Eko straža participated in the organization of the rally in Belgrade.

The second wave of protests was launched as the Constitutional Court of Serbia ruled that the government’s decision in January 2022 to halt the Jadar project was unconstitutional. It immediately reinstated the spatial plan and even signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Commission on a strategic partnership in critical minerals.