Over 30,000 people protested in Belgrade on Saturday, August 10, against Rio Tinto’s resumed Jadar Project, a proposed lithium mine in western Serbia. The protest united people who have been mobilizing over the last month against the project in demonstrations in around 50 towns and cities across the country.
After the protest, activists blocked two railway stations in Belgrade, warning that, if pursued, the project will lead to irreversible environmental damage, devastating health and agriculture not only in western Serbia but across the region.
Scientist Dragana Đorđević emphasized that the Jadar Project is unprecedented, as no major lithium mining project has been implemented in inhabited areas reliant on agriculture before. “This would be the first mine in a populated place, in a fertile place, a water place, a living place. They are trying to deceive us that the mine is underground, that it is deep, and that it is not a problem for the environment. That is not correct,” Đorđević stated on the day of the protest.
Read more: Serbians protest Rio Tinto’s lithium mining project
Đorđević added that Rio Tinto’s eagerness to mine in Serbia is linked to the cheap labor costs and low environmental standards, which promise the company incredibly high profits. Despite assurances from President Aleksandar Vučić’s administration that the project will be safe, environmental experts remain deeply critical of the project, highlighting Rio Tinto’s criminal record in respecting environmental standards and human rights.
Following the protest, three activists—Ivan Bjelić, Nikola Ristić, and Jevđenije Dimitrijević—were arrested and swiftly sentenced to 30 and 40 days in jail. Although they were formally charged under wider allegations, activists allege that the process against them has been initiated to intimidate those taking part in mobilizations against Rio Tinto.
The arrests and subsequent disparaging remarks from government officials suggest that pressure against those opposing the mining plans will intensify further in the coming days. However, opposition to lithium mining in Serbia remains strong, with activists announcing further actions in support of those penalized for publicly expressing their opposition and fighting against the harmful exploitation of natural resources.
