Thousands of Serbs block roads to protest against lithium mine project Environmental News

Demonstrators fear that mining by multinational companies will cause significant damage to the local environment.

Environmental protesters have blocked roads for the third weekend in a row to counter Serbian lithium mining plans, despite the country’s populist government’s desire to cancel the protests, agreeing to key demands from organizers.

Thousands of people faced heavy rains and cold weather on Saturday to stop traffic in the capital Belgrade and other cities and towns in the Balkan nation.

Demonstrators want the government to completely eliminate all opportunities for companies to start mining projects. Environmentalists have argued that the extraction of lithium, a key component of electric car batteries, is causing significant damage to mining areas.

Serbian authorities have removed two keys to the law, saying activists say the multinational mining company Rio Tinto was designed to help open a lithium-rich mine west of the country.

Fewer people showed up at the rally on Saturday compared to the previous two weekends, reflecting on how to continue the rift between protest leaders.

“There will be no peace until lithium is banned and Rio Tinto is sent out of Serbia,” said Aleksandar Jovanovic, one of the organizers.

“I believe that today’s protest is just a step towards change,” protester Ida Radovanovic told The Associated Press.

“It’s not going to do everything, but it’s really important to show that it’s not something we agree on.”

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucice called the ongoing protests “political” after the government rejected two bills that set out the expropriation of property and the rules of the referendum.

Vucic said people will be able to express their priorities in the upcoming April elections.

Serbia needs to address environmental issues in order to become a member of the European Union. Vucic said he wanted the country to join the EU, but also encouraged close ties with Russia and China, including investment in China’s mines, factories and infrastructure.

Environmental issues have recently been the focus of attention in other nations in Serbia and the Balkans due to the accumulated problems of air and water pollution. Demonstrators argued that the authorities were in favor of foreign investors and profit interests rather than protecting the environment.