Tens of thousands gathered in Belgrade on Saturday in a protest against the opening of a lithium mine in Serbia, despite warnings from officials about their “suspected plot” to topple populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government.
President Vucic said earlier that he had been informed by Russian intelligence services that “massive riots and a coup” were being prepared in Serbia on Saturday by unspecified Western powers, who want to oust him from power.
The large crowd chanted “There will be no mining” and “Treason, treason”.
Government officials and state-controlled media waged a widespread campaign against the rally, comparing it to the Maidan uprising in Ukraine's capital, Kiev, that led to the 2013 ouster of the country's then-pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. The organizers of the protest in Belgrade said that the protests will be peaceful.
“Our rally today is ecological and has no political ambitions, but the government has accused us of trying to organize a coup,” said the well-known actress Svetlana Bojkovic.
“We came here today to speak out against something that is beyond politics,” she said.
In the evening hours, protesters blocked the railway lines in Belgrade.
The rally in the center of the capital followed weeks of protests in dozens of towns across Serbia against a government plan to allow a lithium mine to open in an agricultural valley in the west of the country.
This plan was canceled in 2022 after large demonstrations that included the blocking of bridges and major roads. But it was revived last month and got a boost with an agreement signed by President Vucic's government with the European Union.
The Balkan country is officially seeking EU membership, while maintaining very close ties with Russia and China. The deal with the EU on lithium mining and other materials would bring Serbia closer to the bloc and reduce imports of lithium and electric cars into Europe from China.
While the government insists the mine is an opportunity for economic development, critics say it would cause irreparable pollution to the Jadar valley, its important underground water reserves and agricultural land.
Residents in the valley strongly oppose the mine, which would be run by the multinational mining company Rio Tinto. Both the government and the company have promised the highest environmental standards in the mining process, but opponents have not been convinced.
Tens of thousands have attended environmental rallies held across Serbia in recent weeks, posing a major challenge to President Vucic and his increasingly autocratic rule. Opponents want the government to officially ban all lithium and boron mining across the country.
The government has set up a medical team to monitor any potential health risks and a telephone call center where citizens can voice their concerns, an apparent attempt to appease some of the opposition.
Serbian Minister of Mines and Energy Dubravka Gjedovic Handanovic told the Associated Press news agency earlier this week that Serbia will not only export raw materials, but develop a “value chain” in the country related to battery production. and electric cars to help develop new technologies.
Residents of the Jadar valley, however, said nothing could persuade them to agree to the mine. They said they are ready to do anything to prevent the opening of the mine.
