Protesters in Serbia block roads for third consecutive weekend over lithium project, 11 December 2021

Environmental activists took to the streets in Serbia for the third consecutive weekend to protest plans for the development of a large lithium mine despite winning some government concessions...

“The one and only request is to oust Rio Tinto from Serbia and adopt a law banning lithium exploitation,” Aleksandar Jovanovic, the organizer of the protest and the head of Ecological Uprising movement, told...

Fewer people took to the streets this weekend after the government gave in to some of the activists’ demands...

On December 8 the government announced it was withdrawing from parliament a bill on land expropriation critical for the development of mines, saying it would revisit it for possible changes with input from civic professionals and civil society. Two days later, the parliament passed a law on referendums that included recommendations proposed by activists...

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who backs the projects, called the protests "political"...

Demonstrations were also held in Nis, Subotica, Kragujevac and Uzice.

Environmental problems are becoming more urgent in the Balkans where lax regulations and corruption have led to high levels of air and water pollution, endangering the health of citizens.