The need for lithium is driving a global race for resources – and plans for a mine 120 miles from Belgrade have triggered social and political turmoil.
Tens of thousands took to the streets of Belgrade and beyond – representing a cross section of Serbian society, including city-dwelling artists and students, agricultural labourers and farmers – in opposition to the revived plans. Placards reading “We Do Not Give Serbia Away” became a common sight across the nation over the following weeks. Chants of “Rio Tinto get out of Serbia” and “You will not dig here” were regularly heard on the streets. If the protesters’ focus on the Jadar mining project dominated headlines, the unrest also carried deeper undercurrents. “It’s all interconnected,” said Stevan Filipović, a film-maker and vocal opponent of the Vučić administration. “Every single person taking part in these protests is also against the regime. It is the channelling of two things simultaneously. They’re protesting against the regime generally, but also the mining [project] in particular.”