SABAC, Serbia — Hundreds of individuals rallied in a number of cities in Serbia on Monday to protest a lithium excavation undertaking the Balkan nation’s authorities not too long ago signed with the European Union.
The protests have been held concurrently within the western city of Sabac and the central cities of Kraljevo, Arandjelovac, Ljig and Barajevo. They adopted comparable gatherings in different Serbian cities in latest weeks.
The deal reached earlier this month on “essential uncooked supplies” may cut back Europe’s dependency on China and push Serbia, which has shut ties to Russia and China, nearer to the EU. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended the summit in Belgrade.
The deal, nonetheless, has been fiercely criticized by environmentalists and opposition teams in Serbia who argue it might trigger irreversible injury to the setting whereas bringing little profit to its residents.
The most important lithium reserve in Serbia lies in a western valley that’s wealthy in fertile land and water. Multinational Rio Tinto firm had began an exploration undertaking within the space a number of years in the past which sparked big opposition, forcing its suspension.
Earlier this month, nonetheless, Serbia’s constitutional court docket overturned the federal government ‘s earlier choice to cancel a $2.4 billion mining undertaking launched by the British-Australian mining firm within the Jadar valley, paving the best way for its revival.
The Serbian authorities’s choice to cancel the excavation plans got here after 1000’s of protesters in Belgrade and elsewhere in Serbia blocked main roads and bridges in 2021 to oppose Rio Tinto. These protests have been the most important problem but to the more and more autocratic rule of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
Vucic has mentioned that any excavation wouldn’t begin earlier than 2028 and that the federal government would search agency environmental ensures earlier than permitting the digging. Some authorities officers have hinted a referendum on the problem is also held.
Protesters who gathered on Monday in Serbian cities mentioned they didn’t belief the federal government and wouldn’t permit the excavations to go forward.
“They’ve usurped our rivers, our forests,” mentioned activist Nebojsa Kovandzic from the city of Kraljevo. “Every part they (authorities) do they do for their very own pursuits and by no means within the curiosity of us, residents.” The group in Kraljevo chanted ‘thieves, thieves.’
In Sabac, protesters waved Serbian flags and held a march via the city after the rally.