Serbia: Lithium mine opponents block roads in bad weather
Hundreds of people in Serbia have spent part of a holiday weekend blocking roads to protest plans for lithium mining in the Balkan country
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Hundreds of people in Serbia spent part of a holiday weekend blocking roads Saturday to protest plans for lithium mining in the Balkan country.
The protests came a day after Orthodox Christians in Serbia and many other countries celebrated Christmas. The demonstrations took place in the capital, Belgrade and several other locations.
Anti-mine activists have organized weekly gatherings to keep pressure on the populist government of President Aleksandar Vucic to scrap the possibility of lithium excavations in western Serbia.
Thousands have joined protests in the past and ecology groups have vowed not to stop until the mining proposals are rejected.
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told the pro-government Pink television on Saturday that her government was “close to annulling” any deals with multinational mining company Rio Tinto which has explored the area and wants to extract lithium.
“We listen to our people,” Brnabic said.
Experts have warned that mining for lithium, a material used for car and other batteries, would destroy the region’s farmland, ecosystem and water.
Serbia faces numerous environmental problems following decades of neglect. The country is swamped with garbage and has very poor air quality.
Improving environmental protection is one of the criteria Serbia needs to fulfill to advance on its path to joining the European Union.