Nationwide protests are underway in Serbia following the government's decision to revive Rio Tinto’s controversial lithium mining project in the Jadar river valley.

The demonstrations, which swept through dozens of towns and cities over the past two weeks, culminated in a massive protest in Belgrade on the evening of August 10. Tens of thousands of protestors gathered in the capital chanting “There will be no mining” and “Treason, treason”, before attempting to block two railway stations.

The events in Belgrade trailed a fortnight of demonstrations in smaller towns and cities across Serbia. On August 8, approximately 2,200 people gathered in the town of Gornji Milanovac. When adjusted for the town’s population, this is equivalent to a demonstration of 132,000 people in Belgrade.

Other towns, including Subotica, Krusevac, Zajecar and Smederevska Palanka, also saw substantial protests on Thursday night, despite coinciding with a highly-anticipated US-Serbia basketball match that had many Serbs glued to their TVs. 

The ongoing protests signal significant opposition to the government, beyond the traditional bastion of the opposition in Belgrade, and indicate that the debate over the future of lithium mining is far from over.

Protestors are demanding a permanent ban on lithium and boron mining, citing concerns over the potential threat to local land and water resources, which could endanger the health and livelihoods of nearby communities.

Critics argue that the government is prioritising foreign and corporate interests over the welfare of its own people, with little promise of tangible benefits for the country.

Dana Popovic, a retired professor from Faculty of Economics, believes that from an economic point of view the feasibility of the project is unclear, given that the price of lithium has fallen by 80% in the last two years and estimates are that it will continue to fall until 2030.

Popovic draws parallels with the Aboriginals in Australia, where Rio Tinto wanted for decades to mine in their populated and agricultural areas. “The aborigines chased them away – I guess we will too!”

Public discontent has been fuelled by a perception that the government has misled its citizens, reviving the project only after December’s national and local elections, despite earlier assurances that it was off the agenda.

A businesswoman who attended the protest on August 10 expressed her lack of trust in the current government. “The absence of a proper system, disregard for the law, unprofessional conduct and the media blackout aimed at dumbing down and manipulating the people can no longer be tolerated,” she said.

For her, and many others who oppose the government, the attempt to revive Rio Tinto’s lithium mine after the public made it clear in 2021 that it was against it represents the “last straw”.

The scale of these demonstrations underscores deep-seated grievances among the popualtion, beyond the lithium issue, and raises questions about how the government will address the concerns of its citizens going forward.

So far, the government has relied on its usual tactics, blaming the protests on Western meddling to discredit the opposition. On August 9, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic thanked Russia’s intelligence services for warning of a coup attempt.

State-aligned media, such as daily newspaper Politika, have run sensationalist stories alleging that “Western services are preparing mass riots in Serbia” – a claim some might find ironic given that the West supports the government's lithium plans.

In a strange twist of fate, it is now the generally pro-European opposition who are against the EU’s policy of lithium mining in Serbia, and the usually pro-Russian, Eurosceptic government that is doing the EU’s bidding.