Rio Tinto, come here - Thousands of Serbs protest against lithium mining
Thousands of people in at least four cities in Serbia have protested against the extraction of lithium by the Australian company Rio Tinto. With slogans like "Rio Tinto, get out," opponents of mining gathered in Arandjelovac, Šabac, Kraljevo, and Ljig, as shown on Serbian television on Monday.
The Serbian government had given the green light for lithium extraction in Loznica over two weeks ago, also meeting wishes from the EU and particularly from Germany. Lithium is needed for the production of batteries and is becoming increasingly important for the shift towards electric cars and thus also for the German automotive industry. So far, Europe has been largely dependent on imports from China.
Serbian population opposes lithium mining
The deposit in Loznica has been known since 2004 and Rio Tinto had already received a permit for exploitation years ago. However, this did not happen due to the resistance of local residents and environmental activists. There have been repeated protests in Belgrade in the past two months.
The demonstrations this time are decentralized and with "strong local population participation," as noted by the Serbian NGO Archive for Public Gatherings. "This was not the case with previous protests in Serbia."
Despite the Serbian government's approval and the EU's support for lithium extraction by Rio Tinto in Loznica, the local population has vehemently opposed this energy transition. The recent protests against Rio Tinto's lithium mining in several cities, including Arandjelovac and Šabac, highlight the Serbian population's concern for their environment and local interests, which are crucial for the energy transition.
