Huge lithium-mining protest triggers crisis meeting in Serbia

Demonstrators have organized nearly 50 protests since June in an effort to persuade the Serbian government to halt the project and to ban geological exploitation.

Saturday’s protest ended with the blockage of two train stations, and Serbian authorities said it breached the law. Government officials labeled the actions politically motivated and said they were an effort to bring down the president and the government, Reuters reported.

Vučić claimed on Friday in a national speech that he was informed by Russian security services that “a coup d’état” against him was being prepared.

Lithium is used in electric car batteries and has become increasingly coveted in automotive supply chain reorganization.

The Rio Tinto project has been officially backed by the European Union. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič signed deals last month granting EU car makers such as Germany’s Mercedes-Benz and French-Italian automaker Stellantis exclusive access to Serbian lithium.