Serbia: Tens of Thousands Protest Lithium Mining Project
Tens of thousands of protesters went through Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday to protest plans to mine the Jadar Valley, one of Europe's largest lithium deposits, citing concerns over potential ecological damage....
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Facts
- Tens of thousands of protesters went through Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday to protest plans to mine the Jadar Valley, one of Europe's largest lithium deposits, citing concerns over potential ecological damage.[1]
- This is reminiscent of protests that successfully stopped the plan to mine lithium two years ago, and comes as a tentative deal with the EU on 'critical raw materials' last month revived mining plans in Serbia.[2]
- Interior Minister Ivica Dačić said that 14 people were taken for questioning following attempts to block train stations and a highway. Earlier, two protest leaders were cautioned that moves to obstruct traffic would be considered unlawful.[3][4]
- Pres. Aleksandar Vučić, whose country aspires to EU membership and maintains close ties with both Russia and China, claimed that undisclosed Western powers had planned 'mass unrest' to bring down his government.[5]
- Environmentalists in the Balkan nation had set an Aug. 10 deadline for lawmakers to permanently ban the mining of boron and lithium, threatening to use civil disobedience if they failed to pass the law.[6]
- Lithium is a crucial raw material for electric vehicle batteries.[7]
Sources: [1]BBC News, [2]Euronews, [3]Al Jazeera, [4]Associated Press, [5]NPR Online News, [6]Guardian and [7]POLITICO.
Narratives
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Jacobin. The government has ignored the advice of both scientists and mining specialists in pushing forward with this project. The mine will contaminate the water, land, air, and people with toxic substances, and affect not only Serbia, but also neighboring countries. Serbians must keep protesting to protect their land and the environment.
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Balkaninsight. This project is as good for Serbia as it is for the EU. The planned lithium mine is set to provide Europe with critical raw materials, reducing its dependence on Chinese imports for mobile phones and EV batteries, while attracting a substantial amount of foreign investment for Serbia and promoting job creation in the country.
