Protesters say they worry undertaking 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 power transition.
Upfront of Saturday’s rally in Belgrade, two main protest figures mentioned they had been briefly detained by safety officers who warned that any strikes to dam roads in the course of the demonstration could be seen as unlawful.
“We got here right here in the present day to lift our voice towards one thing that’s past politics,” widespread actor Svetlana Bojkovic mentioned from the rally, the place a big crowd chanted “There will probably be no mining”, amongst different slogans.
Serbia has huge lithium deposits close to the western metropolis of Loznica, the place a mining undertaking 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 undertaking in 2022.
However the authorities just lately made a U-turn on the problem following a courtroom determination final month that mentioned the order to revoke the permits awarded to Rio Tinto was “not in step with the structure and the regulation”.
Days later, the Serbian authorities greenlit the undertaking’s restart and signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Union that’s seen as step one in creating Serbia’s lithium sources.
Lithium is a strategically helpful steel wanted for electric vehicle batteries, making it key for serving to the automotive trade shift to greener manufacturing.
The undertaking, nevertheless, has continued to be unpopular with many in Serbia on account 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,” mentioned 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 move a regulation completely banning the mining of lithium and boron within the nation.
Reporting from Belgrade on Saturday, Al Jazeera’s Jelena Glusac mentioned extra individuals joined the protest towards the mining undertaking than latest rallies on different points, together with demonstrations final 12 months following two mass shootings.
“It looks like the lithium [mine proposal] managed to assemble extra individuals than every other topic,” Glusac mentioned.
Environmental teams mentioned they had been ready to dam main visitors arteries throughout Serbia and interact 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.
