Valjevo Protesters Oppose Rio Tinto Lithium Project

Hundreds of people gathered in the central Serbian town of Valjevo to protest Rio Tinto's lithium project in Western Serbia, over fears it could pollute the land.

Protesters in the central square of the industrial city, which has a population of 55,000, and is located about 100 km west of Belgrade, chanted, "You will not dig," and "Rio Tinto, leave Serbia!"

On Aug. 10, tens of thousands rallied in the capital, Belgrade. Authorities said the protests were politically motivated and aimed at toppling populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government.

In Valjevo, protesters also demanded an end to what they perceive as a government clampdown on green activists.

Leader of “Ecology Uprising”, Aleksandar Jovanovic Cuta, saying: “The hunt for people who are against this project has begun and has been announced. And all they did was call for such protests on social networks. You arrest people for destroying the constitutional order that does not exist in a country without a constitution, while your criminal friends are at large, and free people are in prisons. That will cause even more anger. The more arrests you make, the more people will be on the street."

Last month, Belgrade reinstated Rio Tinto's license to develop what would be Europe's biggest lithium mine, two years after the previous government halted the process following mass rallies by environmental groups.

If implemented, the $2.4 billion Jadar lithium project could cover 90% of Europe's current lithium needs and make Rio Tinto one of the world's leading lithium producers.

Lithium is a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile devices.

Serbian officials argue that the lithium mine would boost Balkan country's economy, but environmentalists warn that the cost would be too high.