Protests Erupt in Serbia in Response to Rio Tinto Lithium Mine

 06-12-21

Hanorah Hardy

Europe and Human Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defense

On Saturday, 4th December, thousands of demonstrators blocked major roads across Serbia in response to a government-backed plan to allow mining company Rio Tinto to extract lithium around the western town of Loznica. In Belgrade, protesters gathered and blocked a major highway and bridge linking the city to suburban towns. Minor incidents and instances of violence were reported as demonstrations also took place in other regions such as Novi Sad, Zrenjanin, Sabac, Nis, Kragujevac, Subotica, Uzice, and Raska. Several protesters were detained.

Rio Tinto has purchased land and is waiting for the go-ahead to begin mining Lithium. The company has faced accusations of corruption, environmental degradation and human rights abuses. The company received a £27.4m fine in 2017 from the UK’s financial watchdog for breaching disclosure and transparency rules and is currently fighting a civil lawsuit by the US Securities and Exchange Commission that accuses the company of fraud at its Mozambique coal business. 

Adding fuel to public fury was a referendum law passed last month which will make it harder for people to protest against polluting projects, as well as a new expropriation law, making it easier for the state to carry out land appropriations in the name of ‘national interest.’ Environmentalists say the two new laws will let foreign companies exploit local resources, irreversibly polluting land and the water in Serbia. One Economist, Vladislava Cvoric, stated during the protest: “They allowed foreign companies to do whatever they want on our land. They put us on a platter for everyone who can just come and take whatever they want.” Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, said he has not yet signed the amendment to the law on expropriation, which was passed by his Progressive Party (SNS) allies in parliament last week. The deadline for his signature is December 10.

Sources and Further Reading:

Agence France-Presse, Rio Tinto lithium mine: thousands of protesters block roads across Serbia (The Guardian, 04 December 2021) Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/05/rio-tinto-lithium-mine-thousands-of-protesters-block-roads-across-serbia

Aleksandar Vasovic, Thousands block roads across Serbia in anti-government protest (Reuters, 05 December 2021) Available at: https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/thousands-block-roads-across-serbia-anti-government-protest-2021-12-04/

RadioFreeEurope/RadioFreeLiberty, Thousands Of Serbs Protest 'Anti-Environment' Laws; Vucic Vows To 'Solve Problems' (RFE/RFL 04 December 2021) Available at: https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-environment-protesters-traffic/31593785.html