Protesters say they fear mining giant Rio Tinto’s project will pollute water sources and threaten public health.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Serbian capital to protest the restart of a controversial lithium mine that could be used as a vital power source for Europe’s green energy transition.
Ahead of the Belgrade rally on Saturday, two protest leaders were briefly detained by security guards, who warned that any move to block roads during the protest would be considered illegal.
“We came here today to speak out against something that transcends politics,” popular actress Svetlana Boykovich told the rally, as many in the crowd chanted “No more mines.”
Serbia has vast lithium deposits near the western city of Loznica, and a mining project being developed by British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has sparked a long-running political dispute in the Balkan nation over its potential environmental impact.
The site was discovered in 2004, but weeks of mass protests forced the government to halt the project in 2022.
But the government recently did a complete about-face on the issue after a court ruled last month that an order to revoke the license granted to Rio Tinto was “incompatible with the Constitution and the law”.
A few days later, the Serbian government gave its approval to restart the project and signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Union, which is seen as a first step in developing Serbia’s lithium resources.
Lithium is a strategically valuable metal required for electric vehicle batteries and plays a key role in the automotive industry’s transition to more environmentally friendly production.
But the project remains unpopular with many in Serbia due to concerns that the mine will pollute water sources and threaten public health.
“I am in Belgrade because the survival of Serbia is being defended here,” said Slobodan Stanimirovic, 58, from Laževina in western Serbia, near the site of the future mine.
The protests in Belgrade were the latest in a series of demonstrations across Serbia since mining licenses were restored.
Activists and protesters are urging lawmakers to pass legislation that would permanently ban lithium and boron mining in the country.
Al Jazeera’s Jelena Glusak reported from Belgrade on Saturday that more people had taken part in protests against the mining project than in recent rallies for other issues, including those following two shootings last year.
“Lithium (the mine proposal) seems to have brought together more people than any other topic,” Glusac said.
Environmental groups say they are prepared to block major transport routes across Serbia and engage in civil disobedience if the government does not take action by the August 10 deadline set by activists.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has repeatedly pledged that no mining operations will begin until environmental safety protocols are in place.
