In September 2021, a series of environmental protests began in Belgrade and other locations in Serbia. Protesters demanded the rejection of Rio Tinto's mine investment and the withdrawal of proposed changes to the Expropriation and Referendum Laws.
Anglo-Australian corporation Rio Tinto discovered jadarite, a mineral that has high concentration of lithium, in the Jadar Valley in 2004. Rio Tinto was given permission in 2017 by the government of Serbia to open a mine from which lithium would be extracted. Rio Tinto's project received criticism from environmental activists and academics, stating the possibility that the project could pollute the nearby environment. Amidst the protests, changes to the Expropriation Law and Law on Referendum were proposed in the National Assembly of Serbia. Organisations, activists, and politicians alleged that the laws were connected to Rio Tinto. The changes to the Law on Referendum were withdrawn in December 2021. In the same month, Rio Tinto's spatial plan was abolished.
The government of Serbia annulled all contracts with Rio Tinto in January 2022, however the protests continued up until the dissolution of the National Assembly on 15 February, during which demands for introducing a moratorium on exploitation of lithium increased. Organisations like Ecological Uprising, Alliance of Environmental Organisations of Serbia, and Kreni-Promeni were the ones who organised roadblock protests, at which clashes occurred. In an opinion poll that was conducted during the protests, a majority of the public were supportive of the protests.
Background Jadarite and Project Jadar In June 2004 Vojislav Koštunica's administration gave Rio Tinto's sister company, Rio Sava Exploration, permission to perform geological research. In December 2004, Anglo-Australian mining corporation Rio Tinto discovered the silicate mineral jadarite in a mine in the Jadar Valley. Rio Tinto's boundaries of exploration were later further extended by the Democratic Party-led government and Serbian Progressive Party-led governments. Until 2017, Rio Tinto did not have the permit to build a jadarite mine from which lithium would be extracted.
The International Mineralogical Association recognised jadarite as a mineral in November 2006. Due to the high concentration of lithium in jadarite, the Jadar Valley has been described as an important lithium deposit. In 2017, the government of Serbia signed a memorandum with Rio Tinto to implement Project Jadar, a project that would allow Rio Tinto to open a jadarite mine from which lithium and boron would be extracted. The mine was set to open in 2023 and production of lithium batteries was set to begin in 2027. Aleksandar Antić, who was then the minister of mining and energy, said that the project "will make Serbia a key processor of two very important elements–lithium and boron–which are essential for modern development".
In an interview for the newspaper Danas in 2020, Miroslav Mijatović, the head of the Podrinje Anti-Corruption Team, said that local communities and environmental activists have opposed the implementation of Project Jadar. "For the needs of the mine, it is necessary to draw large amounts of water, which could lead to droughts during the summer and floods during the rainy periods", Mijatović said. Ana Brnabić, the prime minister of Serbia, has described the project as of "exceptional importance" in late 2020 while Rio Tinto said that its technology "will be at service of the environment".
Related protests
In Serbia, environmental protests had been organised as early as in 2019. In January 2021, the Eco Guard initiative organised a protest in Belgrade, dubbed "Protest for Harmless Air", which was attended by between 2,000 and 3,000 demonstrators. Also in attendance was Aleksandar Jovanović Ćuta, an environmental activist who gained prominence in 2018 due to his opposition to small hydros.
Two months later, Ćuta and his Defend the Rivers of Stara Planina organisation organised a protest in front of the National Assembly of Serbia, which he called the "Ecological Uprising". It was attended by several thousand demonstrators and 45 environmental organisations, who demanded the suspension of all projects that were harmful to the environment, including Rio Tinto's Project Jadar. In response to the protests, Brnabić criticised the attendees for not complying with measures to curb COVID-19 but affirmed that she would discuss their demands.
November 2021 laws While the environmental protests were still ongoing, the National Assembly discussed the proposed changes to the Expropriation Law and Law on Referendum and People's Initiative. Although the Expropriation Law only allows private property to be seized "if it is in the public interest determined on the basis of law", the introduced changes would expand the definition of "public interest" to include projects implemented by private companies. Regarding the changes that were proposed to the Law on Referendum, the 51% turnout required for a referendum to be considered valid would be abolished.
Timeline 2021 11 September Before the protests on 11 September, Ćuta already formalised Ecological Uprising as a banner for several environmental organisations, which included his Defend the Rivers of Stara Planina organisation. The Ecological Uprising protest on 11 September was organised in Pioneers Park, Belgrade, in front of Novi dvor, the seat of president of Serbia. After the speeches in Pioneers Park, demonstrators roadblocked Branko's Bridge for two hours. The protest received support from opposition parties and organisations like the Democratic Party, Party of Freedom and Justice, People's Party, Together for Serbia, and Do not let Belgrade drown.
6 and 19 November The day before the 6 November protest, whistleblowers released to the draft plan of the Project Jadar facility to be built in Gornje Nedeljice, a village in the Loznica municipality. The Radio Television of Serbia also aired an advertisement that promoted Rio Tinto; the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media stated that the advertisement was aired in accordance with legal regulations. Despite this, 30 civil society organisations and individuals submitted a request to ban the advertisement, claiming it violated the Law on Advertisements.
Environmental organisations, led by Ćuta's Ecological Uprising, organised a protest in front of Radio Television of Serbia on 6 November. The protest on 6 November was attended by several hundred demonstrators. Kreni-Promeni, a non-governmental organisation, organised another protest in front of the Radio Television of Serbia building on 19 November in response to Radio Television of Serbia declining to air an anti-Rio Tinto advertisement.
22–24 November
Ecological Uprising organised a protest in Makiš, Belgrade on 22 November, the same day the construction of the Belgrade Metro began. Ecological Uprising claimed that the construction of the metro in Makiš would "lead to the complete destruction of Belgrade's largest water supply". The protest was also attended by Party of Freedom and Justice, People's Party, and Movement of Free Citizens politicians.
On 23 November, while the National Assembly discussed the changes of the Expropriation Law and Law on Referendum, the Assembly of Free Serbia organisation held a protest in front of its building. Assembly of Free Serbia and environmental organisations emphasised that both laws "are not only related to projects of Rio Tinto and other mining companies, but also to all existing and future agreements".
A day later, Savo Manojlović, spokesperson for Kreni-Promeni, announced that several civil society organisations had sent a petition to the National Assembly with 68,000 signatories who opposed the Law on Referendum. On the same day, an environmental protest was organised in front of Novi dvor as response to the National Assembly discussing the two laws. Thousands of demonstrators attended the 24 November protest.
27–29 November Protests and roadblocks on 27 November were held at multiple locations in Serbia and were attended by thousands of demonstrators. In Belgrade, the Gazela Bridge and Mostar interchange were roadblocked by demonstrators, while in Novi Sad several demonstrators were detained. It was also reported that clashes between the police and demonstrators occurred. Assembly of Free Serbia, Democratic Party, People's Party, and Do not let Belgrade drown demanded the release of those who were detained during the protests.
In Šabac, protests became violent when a group of masked men attacked a group of demonstrators. The masked men used batons to force demonstrators to open the roads for buses carrying supporters of President Aleksandar Vučić to a Serbian Progressive Party rally in Belgrade. There was also a group of men who rode tractors and bulldozers towards the demonstrators; one demonstrator that stopped a bulldozer was then detained for two days. A gathering in Šabac in support of Serbian Progressive Party was organised on 29 November. At the gathering, two observers were assaulted and one photographer's equipment was stolen.
Three more environmental protests were organised in the following days; two in Belgrade on 28 November and one in Loznica on 29 November.
4 December
A day before the 4 December protest, Ecological Uprising announced that roads at over fifty locations would be blocked. In Belgrade, the Gazela Bridge was roadblocked by several thousand demonstrators and a group of masked men threw torches on demonstrators. In Novi Sad, there were clashes between demonstrators and a group of masked men. Gatherings in support of the environmental protests were organised in New York City, Berlin, Paris, and London on the same day.
During the protests, Vučić was present in Gornje Nedeljice, where he gave a press conference and announced that the changes to the Expropriation Law would be amended. Together for Serbia and Ecological Uprising proclaimed the 4 December protests as a "great victory for the citizens". Vučić claimed that 31,000 demonstrators took part in the protests while Nebojša Zelenović, the president of Together for Serbia, claimed that around 110,000 demonstrators attended the protests.
A day after the protests, Manojlović and Zelenović had a polemic during the Utisak nedelje talk show. Zelenović expressed his support for expanding demands while Manojlović disagreed with him, claiming that "the story would be diluted". Manojlović's Kreni-Promeni eventually stated that they would not organise roadblocks in the further period, claiming that "citizens' demands were met".
11–14 December The 11 December protests were held at fifty locations in Serbia. Thousands of demonstrators took part in the protests at which Ćuta affirmed that "there will be no peace until exploitation of lithium is banned and Rio Tinto sent away from Serbia". Sporadic physical and verbal incidents occurred in Belgrade and Niš. On 12 December, a protest was organised in Zrenjanin and on 14 December a few hundred secondary-school students protested against Rio Tinto in Čačak.
16–18 and December The Alliance of Environmental Organisations of Serbia organised a protest in Jagodina on 16 December in opposition to the creation of a lithium mine in the Morava Valley. On 18 December, Ecological Uprising organised a protest in front of the building of the government of Serbia. On the same day, protests were also held in Gornji Milanovac, Užice, and in villages of the Zrenjanin municipality.
24–25 December A group of high-school students organised another protest in opposition to Rio Tinto on 24 December. A day later, Together for Serbia and environmental organisations organised a protest in Šabac, and Ecological Uprising organised in Laznica, a village located near Žagubica.
2022 3 January