Protesters say they worry venture by mining large Rio Tinto would pollute water sources and endanger public well being.
1000’s of individuals have taken to the streets of the Serbian capital to protest towards the rebooting of a controversial lithium mine set to function an important energy supply in Europe’s inexperienced vitality transition.
Upfront of Saturday’s rally in Belgrade, two main protest figures stated they had been briefly detained by safety officers who warned that any strikes to dam roads in the course of the demonstration can be seen as unlawful.
“We got here right here as we speak to boost our voice towards one thing that’s past politics,” standard actor Svetlana Bojkovic stated from the rally, the place a big crowd chanted “There can be no mining”, amongst different slogans.
Serbia has huge lithium deposits close to the western metropolis of Loznica, the place a mining venture being developed by the Anglo-Australian mining large Rio Tinto has been a perennial political fault line within the Balkan nation over its potential environmental impacts.
The deposits had been found in 2004, however weeks of mass protests pressured the federal government to halt the venture in 2022.
However the authorities not too long ago made a U-turn on the problem following a court docket determination final month that stated the order to revoke the permits awarded to Rio Tinto was “not consistent with the structure and the legislation”.
Days later, the Serbian authorities greenlit the venture’s restart and signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Union that’s seen as step one in growing Serbia’s lithium sources.
Lithium is a strategically useful metallic wanted for electric vehicle batteries, making it key for serving to the automotive business shift to greener manufacturing.
The venture, nevertheless, has continued to be unpopular with many in Serbia because of considerations the mine would pollute water sources and endanger public well being.
“I’m in Belgrade as a result of the survival of life in Serbia is being defended right here,” stated Slobodan Stanimirovic, a 58-year-old from western Serbia’s Radjevina, close to the positioning of the long run mine.
The protest in Belgrade was the most recent in a sequence of demonstrations held throughout Serbia after the mine’s licences had been reinstated.
Activists and demonstrators have referred to as on legislators to cross a legislation completely banning the mining of lithium and boron within the nation.
Reporting from Belgrade on Saturday, Al Jazeera’s Jelena Glusac stated extra folks joined the protest towards the mining venture than current rallies on different points, together with demonstrations final 12 months following two mass shootings.
“It looks as if the lithium [mine proposal] managed to collect extra folks than another topic,” Glusac stated.
Environmental teams stated they had been ready to dam main site visitors arteries throughout Serbia and have interaction in civil disobedience if the federal government refused to behave earlier than an August 10 deadline set by activists.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has repeatedly pledged that no mining operations will start till ensures about environmental security protocols are established.