After the first demonstrations last Saturday, other gatherings took place this Saturday, December 4 in Serbia. At the call of environmental movements and civil society organizations, the Serbs again took to the streets to protest against a lithium mining project discovered in the west of the country.
With our correspondent in Belgrade, Laurent Rouy
The call for protest was launched for the second time by a broad popular movement called “ecological uprising”. About ten days ago, the passage into force of two laws which favor a much maligned lithium mine project led by the multinational Rio Tinto and by the government set fire to the powders.
“I passed through town. There are really a lot of people. We wish that the president does not promulgate the decree of law on expropriations, and that he does not sign the law on referendums. », Tells RFI Jelena, a 22-year-old lawyer.
Very embarrassed by these protests, the government has, this time, let it go. No police were visible while last weekend, incidents had broken out. Protesters hope the protest will lead to change, with a general election slated for next year.
This is the case with this mother of a family: ” Ecology was only the spark. I am here for my children because it is high time to act. We’ve all been apathetic, we’ve been disappointed, but now everyone has stood up », She testifies.
Thousands of protesters who responded to the collective’s call paralyzed Serbia by blocking roads and bridges for two hours in around 40 towns. In Belgrade, the demonstration took on the appearance of a weekend stroll. The demonstrators have already announced that they want to continue the movement next week.
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The Rio Tinto vein in Serbia
Rio Tinto discovered lithium in the Loznica region (west) in 2006 and this deposit is considered one of the most important in the world. Its extraction could bring big returns to the multinational which plans to invest 2.4 billion euros.
Indeed, the demand for lithium continues to increase in Europe and in the world because it is an essential component for the manufacture of electric car batteries. It is estimated that 75% of vehicles produced in Europe will be electric by 2030 and 40% globally. In this context, the global demand for lithium will explode.
Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian company, has started buying land but is awaiting the green light from the state to start mining. This project is supported by the Serbian government, which sees an economic interest in it: it is estimated that the exploitation of this rare metal could bring Serbia an annual profit of around 500 million and a half euros.
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