2024 Serbian environmental protests

The reinstatement of Rio Tinto's mining licence triggered a new wave of indignation and protests across Serbia. Many environmentalists argued that the excavation would cause irreversible environmental damage to the agriculturally fertile Jadar valley, while offering limited benefits to Serbian citizens, especially locals in the region. Many emphasised the importance of preserving Serbia's natural resources and ecosystems over short-term economic gains, with Biljana Stepanovic, a representative of the Proglas rights organisation, stating that "we cannot live without clean air and water, but we can live without lithium batteries and electric cars". Locals and business owners feared that the project would pose an existential threat to local communities in the region.^[1][2]

One of the environmentalist groups called "Ne damo Jadar" (English: We won't give up Jadar) strictly opposed the plans and began to set up local protests starting in June 2024. Group representative and local farmer Zlatko Kokanovic stated:^[3]

"The plan is that the main processing plant will be here — just a few hundred meters away from our church. Between 4,000 and 5,000 tons of rock material will be crushed there daily, treated with 1,000 tons of sulfuric acid, and washed with huge amounts of water, which will then end up in the River Jadar"

The group feared that the resulting landfills and pollution would devastate the ecosystem, poison the river's water supply, destroy agricultural farmland, and introduce toxic particles into the air, causing significant increases in disease and cancer rates.^[3]

He also condemned Germany's role in pushing the project forward at the expense of Serbian farmers and locals, retorting:^[3]

"There is three times more lithium in Germany, Mr. Scholz, and it is found in underground thermal waters where it is much simpler to exploit and where there would be much less impact on the environment. Go ahead, mine your lithium in Germany."
"We will not chase them around Belgrade and have no intention of wasting our strength and energy because it is clearly the plan and goal of this government to arrest us and put us behind bars. We will not allow them to do that."

Opposition MP and environmentalist Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta called the approved mining plan "an epic crime against people and nature". He referred to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as a "little American puppet" who was content with displacing the citizens living in Gornje Nedeljice that "feed Serbia". He further stated:

"Let Scholz and Sevcovic come to Zlatko Kokanovic and tell him: 'Look, Zlatko, I want lithium. The condition for that is you and your 100,000 liters of milk production disappear, and you move from your field.' Could he say that to a German farmer?"
"We are dealing with a company that no normal country would welcome, but that's why they found Aleksandar Vučić, a great brave fighter, who does not have the courage to defend his people but put himself in the service of Rio Tinto."

He warned the government that if they did not outlaw the mining operations and future exploitation of raw materials, that the locals would start "a rebellion".^[3]

On 29 July 2024, thousands of protesters gathered in the city of Šabac, located approximately 50 kilometres northeast of the proposed mine site. Protesters in Šabac marched through the town, with many waving Serbian flags.^[2]

Demonstrations simultaneously occurred in the central Serbian towns of Barajevo, Kraljevo, Ljig, and Aranđelovac. In Kraljevo, activist Nebojsa Kovandzic rallied protesters around the claim that the Serbian government was prioritising its interests towards economic and diplomatic opportunities over those of the citizens. Many environmental groups threatened to escalate future protests, announcing plans to block major railroads and junctions in August 2024 as a form of civil disobedience.^[1]

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attempted to assure protesters by suggesting that the project would only proceed if it complied with EU environmental standards, which was generally met with scepticism from protesters and environmental groups.^[1]

In response to escalating protests, Serbian President Vučić announced that the government would set up a referendum on the project by the end of 2025.^[1] Vučić also stated that no operations would begin before 2028, and would make sure to follow environmental guidelines stringently before construction started.^[2][5]