BELGRADE. Serbia (AP) On Saturday, environmental protestors demanded that plans for lithium-mining in western Serbia be cancelled. They blocked key roads and attempted to block a crossing for the first times.
Traffic on the Balkan nation’s main north-south highway was halted for more than an hour in Belgrade, the capital, along with several other roads throughout the country, including one by Serbia’s border with Bosnia.
Minor incidents have been reported, with angry drivers trying push their way through the crowds. Witnesses said that a man was hurt in an incident in Sabac’s western town.
Environmental groups want Serbia’s populist government to halt the possibility of lithium mining in western Serbia. Activists have promised to keep up the pressure until their demand is met, and Rio Tinto is expelled from Serbia.
Thousands joined similar demonstrations several weeks ago, forcing the government to withdraw two laws that activists said were designed to speed up the country’s mining plans.
This is an ecological catastrophe, that I think Serbia is already one foot in, and even a worse one (catastrophe) is threatening,” said Belgrade resident Mirjana Podolsek.
Janko Krizan, another protester, believes it is our duty come here.
Rio Tinto will not only pollute Serbia, but it will pollute everything else, entire system, everything,” he said.
Rio Tinto has performed explorations in western Serbia but environmental groups want the project abolished, saying that lithium mining would devastate nearby farmland, waters and the area’s entire ecosystem.
Serbia has become a nation of 7,000,000 people, which is now battling environmental problems. Serbia is suffering from poor air quality, waste management, and other environmental issues that have accumulated over the decades. Serbia must address environmental issues in order to progress in its bid for membership to the 27-nation European Union.
___
Follow all AP stories on climate change and pollution at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.
