Thousands of environmentalists protest in Serbia against lithium mine project
BELGRADE – Thousands of environmentalist demonstrators assembled in the city centre of the Serbian capital, Belgrade, to protest the inauguration of a lithium mine project.
The protest was organised by associations at the end of a 40-day deadline set for the government to adopt a law to permanently ban the geological research and exploitation of lithium and boron in Serbia.
“You won’t dig,” shouted protesters, who were repeatedly urged by organisers to keep the protests peaceful.
The environmentalists blocked streets in the city centre leading to a highway and blocked traffic on the Gazela bridge, which connects the two sides of the Sava River in Belgrade.
Serbian researchers have shed light on the cheap expenses and labour of the mining industry, which prompts companies to invest more in projects in the field, paying no heed to the environmental threats they pose.
Prime Minister Milos Vucevic and Internal Minister Ivica Dacic accused the protestors of violating the law and public order during the demonstrations.
Accordingly, the chief public prosecutor of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade, Nenad Stefanovic, warned that violence in the capital would be unacceptable, and urged demonstrators to use their right to peaceful assembly in line with the constitution.
Ultimately, President Aleksandar Vucic is due to address the nation on Sunday, while he previously explained that decisions regarding the extraction of lithium mines will take time.
