Many thousand braved the rain and cold Saturday to stop traffic in Belgrade, the capital of the Balkan nation, as well as other cities and towns.
Protesters demand that the government completely eliminate all possibility for companies to start mining projects. According to environmentalists, lithium extraction, which is a key component of electric car batteries, can cause huge damage to the areas that have been mined.
Two key laws were rescinded by the Serbian authorities. They were allegedly intended to allow Rio Tinto, a multinational mining company, to open a mine in Serbia’s lithium-rich west. There was a split among protest leaders about how to proceed, as there were fewer people at Saturday’s protest than the previous weekends.
Aleksandar Jovanovic said that there would be no peace unless the exploitation of lithium is stopped and Rio Tinto is expelled from Serbia. Vucic stated that people would be able to voice their opinions during the April election.
To be able to join the European Union, Serbia must address its environmental issues. Vucic stated that he would like Serbia to join the EU. However, he also encouraged close ties between Russia and China. This includes Chinese investments in mines and infrastructure.
Recent environmental issues in Serbia and the Balkans have been brought to attention by accumulated water and air pollution problems. Protesters claim that authorities favour foreign investors over protecting the environment.
