Thousands protest lithium mining in Serbia, officials say plot against populist president

BELGRADE Tens of thousands of protesters rallied Saturday against lithium mining in Serbia, despite warnings from officials about an alleged plot to overthrow populist President Aleksandar Vučić and his government.

Vučić has previously said that Russian intelligence services have informed him that there are “mass riots and a coup d’état” underway in Serbia, being prepared by unspecified Western powers that want to remove him from power.

The crowd chanted: “There will be no mining exploitation” and “Treason, betrayal.”

After the end of one of the largest protests in years in central Belgrade, some people from the crowd headed towards the capital’s two main train stations, pledging to block rail traffic until their demands for an official ban on lithium mining are met.

Government officials and state-controlled media have launched a broad campaign against the demonstration, comparing it to the Maidan uprising in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, that led to the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2013. Organizers of the Belgrade protest say it will be peaceful.

“Our rally today is ecological in nature and has no political ambitions, but the government has accused us of seeking to carry out a coup,” said actress Svetlana Bojković.

“We came here today to raise our voices against something that goes beyond politics,” she said.

The demonstrations came after weeks of protests in dozens of towns across Serbia against a government plan to allow lithium mining in a lush agricultural valley in the west of the country.

That plan was abandoned in 2022 after large demonstrations that included blocking key bridges and roads. But it was revived last month and received support under a preliminary “critical raw materials” agreement signed by Vučić’s government with the European Union.

The Balkan country is formally seeking EU membership while maintaining very close ties with both Russia and China. An EU memorandum on lithium mining and other key materials needed for a green transition would bring Serbia closer to the bloc and reduce Europe’s imports of lithium batteries and electric cars from China.

While the government says the mine represents an opportunity for economic development, critics say it will irreversibly pollute the Jadar Valley and its vital groundwater reserves and agricultural land.

The valley’s residents are staunchly opposed to the mine, which would be operated by international mining company Rio Tinto. Both the government and the company have pledged to uphold the highest environmental standards in the mining process, but opponents have not been convinced.

Tens of thousands of people have turned out for environmental rallies across Serbia over the past few weeks, posing a serious challenge to Vučić and his increasingly autocratic rule. Opponents want the government to formally ban lithium and boron mining in Serbia.

The government has set up a medical team to monitor any potential health risks, as well as a call center where citizens can voice their concerns, in an apparent attempt to calm dissent.

Serbian Mining and Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović Handanović told The Associated Press earlier this week that Serbia will not only export raw materials, but will also develop a “value chain” in the country related to the production of batteries and electric vehicles, which will contribute to the development of new technologies.

The residents of the Jadar Valley, however, said that nothing could convince them to agree to the mine. They said they were ready to do anything to prevent the mine from opening.

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Dušan Stojanović contributed to this story.