More than a thousand demonstrators protested on Friday against the opening of a lithium mine near Loznica, in western Serbia.
The protesters hope to ignite a fresh wave of opposition two years after their first successful protest, which halted the mining project.
Australian mining giant Rio Tinto says the ecological impact of extracting thousands of tonnes of lithium, essential for battery production, from the area will be minute. Protesters, however, remain sceptical.
“Groundwater will be contaminated,” says 44-year-old mechanic Petar Cergic, a participant in the march. “I don’t need to listen to anyone; no mine here is environmentally friendly, let alone this one.”
The protesters included about 30 activists who journeyed more than 100 kilometres on foot from Belgrade to demonstrate their determination to resist the project.
The protest was organised by the Serbian Alliance of Ecological Organisations, with overwhelming support from the opposition. Several activists shared their reasons for opposing Rio Tinto’s project - named 'Jadar' after a nearby river - following the rally.
In 2021, substantial protests in Belgrade essentially stopped the project, whose detractors fear the underground mining could pollute the soil, water, and nature.
Serbia's president halted operations in 2022. He later revealed to the Financial Times that if Rio Tinto provided solid guarantees, “the mine could open in 2028.”
