SABAC, Serbia (AP) — Thousands of people rallied in several towns in Serbia on Monday to protest a lithium mining project the Balkan country’s government recently signed with the European Union.
The protests took place simultaneously in the western town of Sabac and the central towns of Kraljevo, Arandelovac, Lig and Balajevo. Similar rallies have been held in other Serbian towns in recent weeks.
The deal on “critical raw materials” reached earlier this month could reduce Europe’s reliance on China and bring Serbia, which has close ties with Russia and China, closer to the EU. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended the summit in Belgrade.
But the deal has been heavily criticised by Serbian environmentalists and opposition groups, who say it will do irreparable damage to the environment while providing few benefits to the country’s people.
Serbia’s largest lithium reserves are in the fertile, water-rich western valleys. Multinational company Rio Tinto started an exploration project in the area several years ago but faced significant opposition and was forced to abandon it.
But earlier this month, Serbia’s Constitutional Court overturned the government’s decision. Previous decisions of It has halted a $2.4 billion mining project started by a British-Australian mining company in the Jadhar Valley, paving the way for a revival.
The Serbian government Cancellation decision The drilling plans come after thousands of protesters blocked major roads and bridges in Belgrade and across Serbia in 2021 in opposition to Rio Tinto. protest It was the biggest challenge to Serbia’s increasingly authoritarian rule. President Aleksandar Vucic.
Prime Minister Vucic has said any drilling would not begin before 2028 and that the government will require firm environmental guarantees before allowing it. Some government officials have suggested a referendum on the issue could be held.
Protesters who gathered in the Serbian town on Monday said they did not trust the government and would not allow the excavation to go ahead.
“They took away our rivers, our forests,” said Nebojsa Kovanjic, an activist in the city of Kraljevo. “Everything they (the government) do is for their own benefit, never for the benefit of us, the citizens.” The crowd in Kraljevo chanted “thief, thief.”
In Sabac, after the rally, protesters marched through the town, waving Serbian flags.
